By Iommie Chiwalo
Malawians are no longer patient enough to keep on waiting for unrealistic promises of politicians with Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) firing warning shots to President Lazarus Chakwera asking him to stop taking citizenry for granted.
In a press statement made available to this reporter, CDEDI has reminded Chakwera that is only remaining with six more days to act on Section 91 of the Constitution which shields first citizens from criminal prosecution while in office or brace for nationwide demonstrations to force him to start honouring his flagship campaign promises.
The statement signed by CDEDI Executive Director, Sylvester Namiwa, comes after there is nothing to point at closer to the fulfillment of Tonse Alliance campaign promises chief of it being trimming of presidential powers.
The CDEDI Chief warns that Malawians will not allow Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance Administration to get away with their sugar-coated pre-June 23 2020 court-sanctioned fresh presidential election (FPE) campaign promises that smack of lies.
Namiwa says by scrapping off presidential immunity, Dr. Chakwera would not only have
delivered on one of his flagship campaign promises but it will also amount to a bold statement that he was not entangled in any corruption scandals that have rocked the country in the two years of his leadership.
Many people fears that President Chakwera is not taking bold step in removing presidential immunity as demanded by his Vice because he is also entangled in the same.
During the commemoration of the Africa Day Against Corruption which falls on July 11 everyyear, according to Namiwa, it was a missed opportunity on both the President and the
Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma, who should have taken advantage of the ceremony to rekindle and raise the hope in Malawians that a corrupt-free Malawi was possible and that it had to start with political will by declaring total war on malpractice by announcing that he has moved the system to amend Section 91 of the
Constitution, which shields the incumbent President.
At a recent statehouse quarterly press briefing, statehouse said ammending constitution on trimming presidential powers, it was not a priority as government is busy with other pressing issues.
“CDEDI would like to put it to President Chakwera that changing tunes and
dragging his feet on removing presidential immunity strengthens fears that first citizens entangle themselves in corrupt activities hence, it is safer remaining immuned,” says Namiwa.
Adding that his organisation will not relent but pile pressure on Chakwera to either scrap off the presidential immunity or come out in the open and accept that he is compromised in the fight against corruption and, therefore, not fit to continue serving in the high office.
“It is strongly feared that President Chakwera’s heavy political influence has culminated into arm-twisting on ACB director general, madam Chizuma. A classic example being the case where soon after the arrest of the former Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Kainja, the ACB’s chief legal and prosecutions officer Victor Chiwala publicly told Malawians that four more arrests, in relation to the same alleged corruption scandal, would follow. Almost three weeks down the line, none of the ‘four more’ has been arrested. Given this scenario, who can be stopped from suspecting the President’s hand working behind the scenes, controlling the ACB director general, for obvious fears,” queries Namiwa.
He has also reminded Chizuma that Malawians have put under the microscope any action and word from the ACB since there are some glaring traits of political manipulation in the way the bureau has been conducting its business lately.
“We can safely speculate that the appointing authority has put spanners in the works of the bureau as regards the promised four more arrests,” he says referring to the fact that all eyes are on ACB Director General waiting for the day the alleged high-profile case involving a British businessperson Zuneth Sattar will be tackled with the urgency it deserves.
“The ACB should be mindful that Malawians cannot wait forever, since there are many other equally interesting cases awaiting the bureau’s attention,”
