UN urges Malawi to stop politicking, address challenges
United Nations (UN) has advised Malawi that its development challenges are too great to afford wasting time on trivia, saying the country should stop “politicking between the polls” and instead focus on working together to build the nation.
“When one follows the discussions and media reports, one sometimes wonders if Malawi is still in election campaign mode. This is not helpful in moving the country forward,” said resident coordinator Mia Seppo said this in Lilongwe on Friday during commemoration of the International Day of Peace.
Seppo said Malawi political leaders should stop behaving as if “it is still elections campaign period.”
“The period between elections should be when every Malawian rallies around the flag of Malawi and join forces in partnerships for peace and development. Malawi cannot afford to lose time to politicking between the polls,” said Seppo at the event which Malawi Vice-President Saulos Chilima graced as guest of honour.
“The development challenges we need to tackle are too great to waste time and everyone has a constructive role to fulfil,” she added.
The UN envoy said the opposition has a key role in holding government to account.
“Whether inside or outside of government, political parties perform the function of transforming aggregated social interests into public policy in a constructive manner. Whether in opposition or in power, the voice and will of Malawians that parties represent is, I believe, a call for moving the country forward.
“Being in opposition does not always mean opposing all initiatives of government,” she said.
The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Jessie Kabwila has blames the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of “politicising everything”.
B-Wax, I agree with you. Our politicians are incapable of using talk as a tool of national construction; instead, their lack of mastery of the language of Parliament requires them to use words as weapons of mass distraction. [No, I don’t mean ‘destruction’.] Confrontation is a lot easier than negotiation. It is learnt in the school yard, not the classroom. Effortlessly, we can absorb the language of fragmentation – of divide-and-rule – at the bar or in the soccer stadium. The linguistic resources that would enable us to promote unity, consensus, common goals, and national development are acquired with more… Read more »
We, malawians, are fools. At first, I thought Chakwera would make a good president. But I have realized that this pastor is power hungry going by what he has been saying during his campaign rallies. I do not think he wants this country developed, what matters most to him is to become president one day and probably steal government money as well. Rev. Chakwera forget about my vote next time. I think last time, I just wasted my time voting for you!!. You are another stupid person. I would rather not vote for anybody in 2019.
Malawians are an interesting lot going by the comments responding to the UN representative’s speech. The comments just reveal how politically polarised our society is. Some mistakenly think the speech was targeted at opposition parties while others think on the contrary. This tells one thing in common between the divide; lack of ACTIVE reading/ listening. Could it be the new Malawi education curriculum has scrapped off the comprehension section of the English grammar? I do believe the message from the UN rep is neutral. I don’t think those supporting the current government have any moral higher ground to point fingers… Read more »
UN rep, hear this. Malawians will not fold their arms when it is visibly clear that gvt performance is mediocre. Explain to me why I should sit back and watch a crazy leader going to America with 115 people most of them illiterate and will simply be sleeping in hotels doing absolutely nothing. If the UN has run out of ideas it can start going to hell now. I can assure that you have not seen things. When we start going into the streets you will understand that as country we have been proved beyond the elasticity.
chakwera is going for a favour otherwise he knows he has lost his direction and dignity
Good advice, zanyanya. How can we develop when people are just bent on opposing and criticising instead of working together for the common good? Well done UN’s Mia Seppo for the advice so that those with primitive minds and hatred can learn that Malawi has so many challenges and we will move forward only when we work together.
”Being in opposition does not always mean opposing all government initiatives.” End of Quote. It is my hope that the greedy pastor has heard.
Narutah!
Zoona a Chakwera daily campaign wayamba kundinyasa tsopano ….Peter yemweyo zinthu zioongoka munawonga ndi mayi wanu uja.
When elections are not credible enough, things are prone to continue this way.
We need a credible election commission and elections
Dear Ms Seppo Before you can understand politics here, you must recognize the following fundamental point: The best known dictum of von Clauswitz states that ‘war is politics continued by other means’. Here, the opposite is true: Malawi politics is war continued by other means. War, not politics, is the basis of our inter-communal relationships. When a battle is lost, the war does not end. Resentment smoulders, always ready to burst into flame. Our politicians do not debate; they skirmish. They do not out-smart; they ambush. They do not try to win the argument; they try to annihilate the enemy.… Read more »