By Linda Kwanjana
Governance and social experts are demanding that the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) hold elections, saying the organization’s mandate expired years ago.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, governance expert Dr. George Chaima said PAC needs to follow its constitution and elect new board members.
“Electing a new board will give PAC legitimacy, process integrity, and alignment with governance standards,” Chaima said. He added that a fresh mandate would restore stakeholder confidence.
Dr. Ben Dzolowere, another governance expert, said most corporate codes and NGO statutes require elections to follow set procedures: proper notice periods, quorum, secret ballot, and conflict-of-interest rules.
“These must be met to avoid legal challenges, regulator intervention, or loss of tax-exempt status,” Dzolowere said.
He argued that frameworks like the OECD Principles, King IV, and NYSE/NASDAQ rules all stress four pillars: fairness, accountability, transparency, and disclosure.
“In this case, PAC needs to operationalize these pillars by mapping the election process to the governance code, in line with King IV Principle 7 for governing bodies,” he said.
PAC Response
PAC Executive Director Robert Phiri said the organization is not acting unconstitutionally.
He said PAC will convene a Board of Trustees meeting to set the date and process for the AGM. The secretariat will then update the Executive Committee and Secretaries General of Mother Bodies.
Phiri noted that the AGM is an internal meeting, and expenses will be covered by PAC or members, as is standard practice.
Citing Article 15.4 of the PAC Constitution, he said: “In the event that a new Executive Committee is not in place, the existing committee shall continue to transact business for the sake of PAC continuity.”
“Trustees exercised their power within the PAC constitutional framework. It is not unconstitutional for trustees to exercise these overarching powers to protect accountability principles and constitutionalism relating to admission of members and code of conduct,” Phiri said.
He added that the secretariat reviewed the revised constitution and identified issues needing urgent redress, including admission criteria and strengthening the code of conduct.
“Previous elective AGMs failed to admit new members and did not review the Code of Conduct. From a technical point of view, it is prudent to tackle these issues at once rather than piecemeal,” he said.
Phiri said PAC remains committed to accountability and constitutionalism, and that trustees respected the constitution in extending the Executive Committee’s mandate.
“In accordance with Article 4.1.10 and Article 6.5, trustees resolved to extend the Executive Committee’s mandate. Trustees are legal owners at law and exercise powers based on the PAC Constitution, meaning the extension is legal,” he said.
Phiri acknowledged the delay but said PAC will not rush the process.
“We need to deal with sensitive matters before the AGM itself takes place. No Executive Committee member is clinging to power. Trustees, as legal owners, made the decision,” he said.
However, despite explanations by PAC’s Executive Director and sections of its current leadership, pressure is mounting for an elective meeting. The six-year lapse since the expiry of its mandate remains a serious blemish on PAC’s long-standing credibility and moral authority. Malawians expect PAC to lead by example by urgently reconstituting its board to restore legitimacy, public confidence, and institutional integrity.
