Plans to split constituencies deferred: Police complaints body, rights commission get additional funding
Finance minister Felix Mlusu has said Members of parliament during a budget cluster meeting recommended that K500 million which was earmarked for Constituency demarcation exercise has been removed from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) budget allocation and instead given to Independent Complaints Commission to investigate complaints by the public against Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
The cluster system gives members a chance to ask government officials questions in line with what has been presented in the budget.
Mlusu told parliament that Independent Complaints Commission has been allocated K350 million to kick-start its operations while the MHRC has been allocated an additional K150 million for the operationalisation of Access to Information Act (ATI) and Gender Equality Act.
Section 128 of the Police Act established the Independent Complaints Commission to receive and investigate complaints by the public against police officers and the service in general.
In Section 131, the Act stresses that the commission should be independent and that no organ of the State and no member or an employee of an organ of the State must interfere with its work.
Mlusu however clarified that this is not to undermine plans to demarcate large constituencies which are depriving people of development and affecting democracy.
“Government still takes constituency demarcation exercise to be very important. It is therefore, my expectation that MEC will come up with a concrete work plan on this exercise so that the work can be started in 2021/22 financial year,” he said.
The call to have big constituencies split have been made by various stakeholders, including President Lazarus Chakwera and Vice-President Saulos Chilima during the May 2019 Tripartite Elections campaign.
At the time, Chilima said some constituencies were too big which affects development, adding such need to be split.
And in 2017, various stakeholders called for the splitting of constituencies that are deemed big in terms of area and population size. MEC earlier said it would start the exercise in 2020.
University of Livingstonia political scientist George Phiri said splitting of big constituencies will ensure that people are represented but also that development flourishes to impact on lives of people.
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The country has constantly or continuously been milked by these fake politicians in parliament. Is development the duty of MPs? What development have they brought in their constituencies? Are the school blocks without windows development? Are boleholes development in the 21st Century? Most of the good things we see to day were done by Kamuzu with a few Ministers and MPs. Parliament of today is full of noise makers. We should know that every five years these guys are provided with soft loans with which they buy top of the range vehicles. Multiply that by 193. The same people pocket… Read more »
Most constituencies in the South have much larger populations than most constituencies in Central and Northern Regions. These must be demarcated. And the basis should be on population per constituency. But this should happen next year. Koma Alufandika achepetse useless meetings which are aimed at nothing but drawing allowances. Kodi mbava imeneyi idzachoka liti ku MEC?
Do we need extra constituencies in Malawi on top of 193? Zopusa izi. What development are you talking about? You simply want to keep on draining our taxes. I hate this. Zimbabwe is bigger than Malawi but has less MPs. You are suckers
Nyani Alufandika akungofuna ma allowance basi. Kodi misonkho yathu azidya yekha galu ameneyu. He is always all over making timasemina topanda phindu as if ife timadya ndale. Fisi ameneyu Alufandika watitopetsa. Other equally important departments in government are not receiving financial support because ndalama zikuthera ku MEC. Fotseki.
RUMPHI WEST NEEDS IS VERY BIG ie Hewe, Nyika, Thazima, Bawa, Chankhalamu and Mwazisi (Rumphi West Constituency) and Chikwawa, Bolero, Mwachanda, Luviri, Nkhozo, Bembe, Luhono, Kamphenda to Bowe (Nkhamanga Constituency)
Nde bola mukanati ma big wards
Mmesa ma MP ntchito yawo ndi kupanga malamulo
Demarcated Constituencies will automatically mean more wards to be created.
You can still have one constituency with increased number of wards. This means more development as extra wards will draw LDF for their needs.
As much as constituency redemarcation is a needful excercise, this can be planned and enforced in the next fiscal period. True and factual that the districts in Central and Northern regions should be earmarked….The ICC and The Human Rights need these funds more in the current fiscal period. ” LOW HANGING FRUITS” first! Lol..Good one Chancellor of the Exchequer!
Re-demarcation of constituencies is necessary from many points firstly the UDF government concentrated on the Southern Region in order to create more parliamentary seats in favour of their powerbase. Numerical superiority in parliament was Bakili’s for any enactment of the law. Secondly the oppression of the North and Central regions by the Southerners was subtle everyone saw the UDF preferred Bingu leadership as a presidential candidate to that of the UDF Veeps namely Aleke and Malewezi. Some districts in both Central and North should be divided into districts attention to Lilongwe should be redistricted into three even four the city… Read more »
Especially Nkhata Bay North needs to split into three such as: 1. Chikwina, Mtawa and Buwa; 2. Areas like Bula, Banda, Usingini, Ruarwe; Khondowe and New Salawe; 3. From Bunga, Sangano, Nthwezulu, Sasasa,and all areas along the lakeshore to Luvuwo. This is just my opinion
Very true maboma apitawo amakondera chigawo cha ku mwera basi ngati amakhoma nsonkho wokha
Splitting of constituencies just means more fingers in the kitty