It’s Time For Tonse Alliance Govt To Deliver Its Campaign Promises-CDEDI

Statement Made During Press Conference In Lilongwe Today August 25, 2020

IT’S NOW TIME FOR THE TONSE ALLIANCE GOVERNMENT TO DELIVER ITS CAMPAIGN PROMISES! ALL EYES ARE ON THE NEXT SITTING OF PARLIAMENT

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) just like all patriotic Malawians, is anxiously waiting to see the Tonse Allince delivering its campaign promises made in the run up to the June 23, 2020 Fresh Presidential Elections (FPE). It is against this background that CDEDI is reminding State President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to seize the opportunity and use his government’s first national budget as a jumpstart towards delivering his administration’s campaign promises.

That said, we at CDEDI are aware that not all the promises can be pushed into one financial year budget. However, the first budget is a very critical pointer as to whether Malawians were sold a dummy, or it is a real deal!

Without beating about the bush, Malawians are expecting the following from the 2020/2021 national budget as per the Tonse Alliance campaign promises emanating from the consolidated Malawi Congress Party (MCP), UTM and the rest of the partners’ manifestos:

1. The Universal Fertilizer Subsidy programme, and not the targeted farm input programme as per the indication in the provisional budget which was unveiled some months ago by the Finance Minister. This is a complete departure from what the Tonse Alliance, specifically the Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima told the nation during the campaign period. Just as a reminder, we have video clips of Dr. Chilima carrying samples of the 50kg fertilizer bags during his whistle-stop tours, where the universal fertilizer subsidy programme was promised to Malawians.

2. The one million jobs that were promised by the Tonse Alliance as achievable during their first year in government;

3. The increased Tax threshold band from MK35, 000 to MK100 thousand;

4. The MK15, 000 monthly stipends for the senior citizens aged 65 and above;

5. Free water and Electricity connection; 6. The one-week tax holiday quarterly/annually;

7. Reduction of passport charges from MK90 thousand to MK14 thousand;

8. The affordable three meals a day for all Malawians; These are but just a few examples that have been extracted from the Tonse Alliance manifesto.

Apart from the budgetary allocations to enable the implementation of the above flagship promises which compelled Malawians to vote for President Chakwera and his Tonse Allinace, the voters are waiting with baited breath to hear the kind of roadmap that has been put in place in order to achieve the much touted new Malawi for all.

This now takes us to the second reminder, that is his inaugural State of the Nation Address (Sona). The voters expect to hear the following from their leader:

1. Plans on his promise to abolish some laws and regulations that continue to oppress the very same people they were supposed to protect. We have in mind the Pension Act Section 64 and 65 which need to be reviewed;

2. Steps which are being taken to engage parliament and the law commission in a bid to reduce presidential powers;

3. The independence and the promised empowerment of the office of the Vice President; CDEDI is also appealing to President Chakwera to begin to balance up his flowery speeches with actions since his tenure of office shall not be judged by the number of powerful speeches delivered, but rather whether Malawi has moved up the poverty ladder or not.

CDEDI would like to take this opportunity to caution individual Members of Parliament (MPs) to desist from petty partisan interest in the way they deliberate in the house and that their focus should be on the plight of the poor people that voted for them.

In the same vein CDEDI is challenging MPs to vote in line with the people’s needs, and not towing their political masters’ narrow partisan interests. On the other hand, CDEDI is demanding parliamentary committees, with the help of the opposition MPs to wake up from their deep slumber and start exercising their oversight role which is a critical tool in the fight against corruption and theft of public funds.

Parliamentary committees are supposed to inspect projects and track all the resources that were approved by parliament to avoid funding ghost projects.

Lastly, but not the least, CDEDI is challenging Malawians to begin debating on the need for parliament to start using local languages in the national assembly, with the aid of translation for ease of meaningful deliberations in the house, and for the constituents to easily follow what is being discussed in parliament.

We have noted with concern on how some MPs are struggling to express themselves in English, and yet the same people were trusted by their constituents to represent them in the national assembly. Secondly, there is also the need to start discussing whether it is necessary to put age limit for individuals that are aspiring for the country’s presidency or not.

It is hypocritical, we believe, that one should be deemed to be exhausted to continue working in the civil service at the age of 60, and yet the same person is deemed fit and free to serve in the high office of the presidency at the age of 60 or beyond!

BACKGROUND CDEDI is a non-partisan, nongovernmental organization that was established in a quest to attain a well-informed and organized citizenry that can ably demand their social and economic rights at the same time hold duty bearers accountable for their actions.

Among many others CDEDI aims at sensitizing the masses on matters of national importance, inculcate the spirit of a peaceful coexistence among people of different ethnic, political and religious affiliations; provide civic education on people’s rights and responsibilities in economic independence and contribution towards national development and lobbying for the electoral law reforms.

<— CHICHEWA —> Mau Olankhulidwa Pa Msonkhano Wa Atolankhani Mu Mzinda Wa Lilongwe Lero 25 August, 2020 TSOPANO NDI NTHAWI YOTI BOMA LA MGWIRIZANO WA TONSE LIKWANIRITSE ZOMWE LIDALONJEZA PA MISONKHANO YAKE YOKOPA ANTHU! MASO ONSE ALI PA MKUMANO WA APHUNGU AKUNYUMBA YAMALAMULO UKUBWERAWU. Bungwe la Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), monga ngati M’malawi aliyense wakufuna kwabwino, likudikira mwachidwi kuti lione momwe boma la mgwirizano wa Tonse likwanilitsire malonjezo ake omwe lidapereka pa misonkhano yokopa anthu pokonzekera chisankho cha chibwereza cha mtsogoleri wa dziko lino cha pa 23 June, 2020. Pachifukwa ichi, bungwe la CDEDI likukumbutsa mtsogoleri wa dziko lino Dr. Lazarus Chakwera kuti atengerepo mwayi pa ndondomeko ya zachuma yoyamba m’boma lawo, pokwaniritsa malonjezo a ulamuliro wawo omwe adapereka pa nthawi ya misonkhano yokopa anthu. Bungwe la CDEDI likudziwa kuti simalonjezo onse omwe angakwaniritsidwe mu ndondomeko imodzi yokha yazachuma. Komabe, ndondomeko yoyamba ya zachuma ndiyofunikira kwambiri chifukwa idzapereka chithunzithunzi ngati a Malawi adapusitsidwa kapena adachita chiganizo cholondola. Mosataya nthawi, a Malawi akuyembekezera zinthu zotsatirazi mu ndondomeko ya zachuma ya chaka chino mpaka chaka cha mawa, mogwirizana ndi malonjezo a ulamuliro wa mgwirizano wa Tonse omwe udakhazikitsidwa kuchokera ku zipani za Malawi Congress Party-MCP, UTM komanso zipani zina za mu mgwirizanowu: 1. Ndondomeko ya feteleza otsika mtengo yofikira aliyense, osati yosankha anthu owerengeka monga zinadziwikira mu dongosolo la chuma loyembekezera lomwe lidaperekedwa ndi nduna ya zachuma miyezi ingapo yapitayo. Izi zikusiyana kwathunthu ndi zomwe mgwirizano wa Tonse, makamaka zomwe wachiwiri kwa mtsogoleri wa dziko lino Dr. Saulos Chilima adauza dziko lino pa misonkhano yokopa anthu. Mongokumbutsana, tili ndi makanema a misonkhano yoimaima yoonetsa Dr. Chilima atanyamura thumba la feteleza olemera ma kilogalamu 50 ngati chionetsero chotsimikiza lonjezo loti a Malawi onse adzagula feteleza otsika mtengo mu boma la Tonse. 2. Mwayi wa ntchito kwa anthu 1 miliyoni (1 million) omwe udalonjezedwa ndi utsogoleri wa mgwirizano wa Tonse ngati chinthu chomwe adzakwanilitse mchaka chawo choyamba akalowa m’boma. 3. Kukweza mulingo wa msonkho omwe munthu amadulidwa pa malipiro kuchoka pa MK35, 000 (MK35 sauzande) kufika pa MK100,000 (MK100 sauzande); 4. Kupereka ndalama mwezi ulionse yokwana MK15, 000 (MK15 sauzande) kwa anthu achikulire opitirira zaka 65. 5. Kuchotsa malipiro oitanitsira madzi ndi magetsi. 6. Kukhazikitsa Sabata imodzi yosadula msonkho mu theka lililonse lachaka kapena pachaka. 7. Kutsitsa mitengo ya chiphaso choyendera cha mzika kuchoka pa MK90,000 (MK90 sauzande) kufika pa MK14,000 (MK14 sauzande); 8. Kukwanilitsa kuti M’malawi aliyense azidya katatu. Izi ndizitsanzo zochepa chabe zomwe tatenga mu mfundo za mgwirizano wa Tonse. Kupatula kuika ndalama m’magawo osiyanasiyana pofuna kukwaniritsa malonjezowa omwe adakopa a Malawi ambiri kusankha Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, anthu akudikira mwachidwi kuti amve ndondomeko zomwe zaikidwa pofuna kukwaniritsa mfundo yopanga Malawi watsopano okomera aliyense, yemwe wakhala akukambidwa mobwerezabwereza ndi atsogoleri a gwirizanowu. Izi, zatikumbutsanso kuti posachedwapa mtsogoleri wa dziko linoyu akhala akuyankhula koyamba ku mtundu wa a Malawi (Sona), atamukhazikitsa ngati mtsogoleri wa dziko. Athu eni ake, akuyembekezera kumva izi kuchoka kwa mtsogoleri wawo: 1. Malingaliro ake pa lonjezo lothetsa malamulo ena opondereza nzika za dziko lino. M’malingaliro mwathu muli lamulo loyangánira anthu omwe apuma pa ntchito(Pension Act) makamaka gawo 64 ndi 65, lomwe likuyenera kuunikidwaso. 2. Ndondomeko zomwe zikugwiritsidwa ntchito pofikira nyumba ya malamulo ndi bungwe lounika malamulo la Malawi Law Commission pofuna kuchepetsa mphamvu zomwe mtsogoleri wa dziko lino ali nazo. 3. Malonjezo opereka mphamvu zokwanira kwa wachiwiri kwa mtsogoleri wa dziko lino. Bungwe la CDEDI likupemphaso mtsogoleri wa dziko lino, Dr Chakwera kuti ayambe kuchita zomwe wakhala akunena polingalira kuti nthawi yawo yokhala pa udindowu siidzadziwika ndi mauthenga omwe iwo akhala akupereka ku mtundu wa a Malawi, koma, mkudzera pounika ngati dziko la Malawi lachoka mu umphawi kapena ai. Bungwe la CDEDI, lati litengelepo mwayi, ochenjeza aphungu akunyumba ya malamulo kuti apewe dyera lofuna kukwaniritsa zofuna zawo, pa zokambirana zawo mnyumbayi ndikuti, maso awo alunjike pokwaniritsa zofuna za anthu osauka omwe adawasankha pa maudindowa. Mwa ichi, bungwe la CDEDI likumema aphungu onse kuti akakhala mnyumbayi azipanga zisankho zokomera awo amene adawasankha, osati kusankha zokwaniritsa zolinga za atsogoleri awo pa ndale. Ife a CDEDI tikufuna ma komiti akunyumba ya malamulo mothandizidwa ndi aphungu otsutsa kuti akhale tcheru ndikuyamba kugwira ntchito yawo ya kauniuni yomwe ndi chida chachikulu pa ntchito yolimbana ndi ziphuphu,katangale komanso kubebwa kwa ndalama za boma. Ma komiti akunyumba ya malamulo akuyenera kumayendera komanso kulondoloza ntchito zachitukuko zonse zomwe nyumba yamalamulo idavomereza popewa kupereka ndalama ku ntchito zomwe zili papepala chabe/sizikugwirika. Chinanso nchakuti bungwe la CDEDI likumema a Malawi onse kuti ayambe mtsutso pa ganizo loti ku nyumba ya malamulo izigwiritsa ntchito ziyankhulo za mdziko muno mothandizidwa ndi anthu otanthauzira, kuti zokambiranazi zizimveka bwino komanso kuti anthu onse azitsatira bwino lomwe komanso mwachidwi. Ndife okhudzidwa pa momwe aphungu ena a mnyumbayi akuvutikira kuyankhula chiyankhulo cha chingerezi, koma chonsecho anthu akudera kwa aphungu oterewa adawakhulupilira kuti akawaimilira ku nyumba ya malamulo. Chachiwiri nchakuti, pakufunikaso kuyamba zokambirana ngati nkofunika kuika malire pa zaka zomwe munthu akuyenera kupikisana nawo pa mpando wa mtsogoleri wa dziko lino kapena ai. Tikukhulupilira kuti sizoona kuti munthu aziuzidwa kuti wakula akafika zaka 60 ndipo kuti sangatheso kugwira ntchito m’boma, chonsecho munthu yemwe ali pa mlingo wa zaka zochuluka chomwechi kapena kuposera apo, amaonedwa ngati oyenera kutumikira anthu ngati mtsogoleri wa dziko. Bungwe la CDEDI Bungwe la CDEDI ndi loima palokha lomwe silaboma, lomwe lidakhazikitsitsa ndi cholinga chofuna kukwaniritsa kukhala ndi nzika zomwe zimatsatira bwino zinthu komanso nzika zomwe zikhoza kufunsa ma ufulu awo pachuma, zinthu zochitika mdziko ndikufunsa adindo kuti azichita zofuna za anthu awo. Mwa zina, bungwe la CDEDI cholinga chake ndikuphunzitsa anthu pa nkhani zofunikira mdziko muno, kukhazikitsa kakhalidwe ka mtendere ndi kulolerana pakati pa anthu amitundu yosiyana, zikhulupiliro pa ndale ndi zipembezo zosiyana; kuphunzitsa anthu pa maufulu ndi udindo wawo pokhala odzidalira pa chuma pofuna kutukura dziko lino ndi kumema kusintha kwa malamulo ayendetsera chisankho.