The resolution to impeach Vice President Saulos Chilima reached a climax on Tuesday, November 29, 2022 in Lilongwe where MCP top gurus agreed to impeach Chilima accusing him of abuse of power by enabling corruption and bribery which are very ‘serious’ violation of the constitution and other written laws of the country.
According to multiple sources who attended the meeting and have already launched a ‘crucifixion campaign’ against Chilima by reaching out to opposition Members of Parliament, MCP gurus in Parliament say Chilima’s conduct is impeachable as he has violated the Constitution which he took an oath to uphold and some serious written laws of the land and that the remedy for that, according to the Constitution, provides for his impeachment or voluntary resignation.
Insiders said MCP has earmarked a ‘very powerful’ woman to replace Chilima if the conspiracy is successful.
We can reveal that Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara is being earmarked for the position while a senior cabinet minister is gunning for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly.
But when Malawi Voice reached out to opposition MPs on the matter, they confirmed that indeed some MCP gurus have reached out to them on the matter and ‘we have told them blatantly that we can not ‘hang our son on the cross’ though there were some disagreements with the DPP leadership some years ago.
“Their plans are dead on arrival. We may disagree with Chilima because of what he did to DPP family but for DPP to play the political grand strategy for MCP is total rubbish. How do you expect DPP to accept this nonsense when we know that the result is to empower Chakwera to have more authority within the government machinery? They think DPP is a brief case party that can just be bought like that. Chilima is not going anywhere,” said one DPP MP from North who opted for anonymity.
Another DPP MP from Eastern region has also confided in us that indeed MCP gurus have reached out and they are offering ‘hefty baits’ for them to ‘shed the blood’ of Chilima.
UDF MPs have not been spared as well. They too have been dangled a carrot but the most of them have rebuffed the plot to hang Chilima.
“We know that they are looking for threshold of 128 MPs for their move to pass. But it is something that any meaningful Malawian can not buy now. It is scheme to make Malawi ungovernable while our people are looking for economic solutions,” said one UDF MP from Mangochi.
According to him, his stand is that Malawi needs development and not impeachment and this move is against President Chakwera’s own words that ‘he will never victimize’ his Vice President when he takes over the mantle.
“The only political problem Chilima made was to cling on to a sinking ship when he saw it that Chakwera has stripped off his presidential duties,” he said.
According to the Parliamentary Standing Orders, the procedure of removing the President and Vice President are laid down in the Standing Order from 208 to 209.
In 208(1) it says a Member wishing to move a motion to indict the President or Vice President for impeachment shall give notice of intention to move such a motion, signed by one- third of Members of the Assembly to the office of the Speaker seven( 7) days before the Motion to indict the President or the Vice President on impeachment is moved in the Assembly.
But in section 2019( 2) the Chief Justice is called into action to provide legal direction after receiving the Notice from the Speaker.
2) The Chief Justice shall, within seven days after receipt of the notice transmitted under Sub-Rule (1), constitute a tribunal comprising two Justices of the Supreme Court (excluding himself or herself) and a Legal Practitioner of good standing and with not less than fifteen years experience at the bar to investigate the allegation in the indictment and to report its findings to the Assembly stating whether or not there is a prima facie case for removal of the President or Vice-President.
If the Tribunal finds that the accused has not committed any crime, the case shall be discontinued forthwith.
The accused is also given an opportunity for legal representation as provided for in subsection 3.
Chilima went into alliance with President Chakwera to oust DPP from government thinking that after Chakwera’s first term, he will take over from him as per their signed agreement.
But it is clear that MCP wanted Chilima to push them to the ‘other side of the lake’ and then drop him under the bus.
