Africa-Press – Malawi. Truth be told, it is Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, the president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who is the state president of this country. Despite all the social-economic problems Malawi is currently facing, at least we can draw a few lessons from this Tonse Alliance administration.
First, Malawians have learnt a lesson that not all men of God are honest and truthful. Reverend Lazarus Chakwera has proved to be a professional hypocrite. Contrary to his promise of fighting corruption and nepotism, his government is promoting the same vices.
Second, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, the vice president of Malawi, still remains a cunning politician, a man who is eager to undertake vigorous campaign with a selfish ambition of ascending to power and not to serve poor Malawians.
People are aware that the same Saulos Chilima campaigned for a better Malawi alongside Prof. Peter Mutharika in 2014. Even though, corruption soared during the first four years of Peter Mutharika’s regime, Chilima as the vice president remained quiet.
In 2020, the same Saulos Chilima criss-crossed the country to sell us a bad egg promising one million jobs within the first year of their regime among other unrealistic promises. Now that corruption is high, inflation rate is high, and cost of living is skyrocketing, as usual, Saulos Chilima remains quiet enjoying in his cocoon.
Third, Malawians have also learnt a lesson that a change of regime is not always a solution. The very same people who personally hated Prof. Peter Mutharika are regretting that they voted a wrong person into power in the last presidential election.
They have discovered that our local currency, Kwacha, was stable during Mutharika’s regime. MCP sycophants were not queuing on filling stations. Cost of living was manageable. Forex was available. Corruption was not as high as it is now.
Just as in the times of Moses in the bible, Malawians are asking President Chakwera, ‘did you overthrow Mutharika’s government so that we can die of hunger and poverty now? Yes, there were problems during Mutharika’s regime, but at least life was affordable then’.
Fourth, Malawians have learnt a lesson that human rights activists and politicians fight for their bellies and not to serve the underprivileged. The much touted human rights activist, Timothy Mtambo, was appeased with a ministerial position in the Tonse Alliance government. Richard Macdonald Sembereka, Billy Mayaya, Monica Chakwera and Agnes Patemba , just to mention a few, are now enjoying diplomatic positions abroad while many Malawians are wallowing in abject poverty.
Have you wondered why human rights activist, Gift Trapence, is treating Tonse Alliance government with kid’s gloves? What has stopped Bon Kalindo from staging massive demonstrations against the incumbent regime?
Fifth lesson is that the 50%+1 electoral determinant is simply a political fallacy. It is just a ploy to usher in specific individuals into power. It ends there. As of now, don’t be cheated that all nine parties in the Tonse Alliance government are ruling this country. It is the MCP which has an upper hand in the Tonse Alliance government. The more things change, the more they become the same.
Even the 50% +1 electoral system does not statistically and significantly ensure the people are ruled by leaders of their choice. In a case of a presidential candidate amassing 52% of the votes , for example, the remaining 48% of the voters will still cry foul . Truth be told, 48% of the votes is too statistically and significantly a high number to be ignored.
Last but not least lesson from current regime is that our vote is highly important. The decision we make when voting someone into power will haunt us for the five years till we conduct another presidential election. President Chakwera , whether he performs or not, will try his best to remain in power till 2025. He will use all government resources to stay in power even after 2025. It is myopic to sell vote for unrealistic promises. In 2025, cast your vote wisely.
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