United Democratic Front (UDF) has announced that it will hold its elective convention in July this year.
The party made the announcement on Saturday during its Nation Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at its Naperi offices in Blantyre.
Speaking to journalists, the party’s current president Lilian Patel said the NEC members have since chosen the second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Mambo Adams to lead the convention committee which has 11 members including Mambo Adams.
Lilian Patel
She said the 11 members chosen are tasked to set up an actual date and the venue for the event.
“We have chosen 11 members to lead us as we hold our elective convention. The convention will take place in July but the members chosen are yet to give us an actual date and venue of the conference.
But Patel, who took ove leadership of the party following the resignation of Atupele Muluzi on the position, maintained that she will not contest at the convention.
“I will not contest for any position at the convention. I have done my part and I should let others do theirs. This is my decision and its personal. It is not from the party,”said Patel.
She added that the party will announce whether it will go solo or make an alliance in the 2025 general elections.
UDF is a political party in Malawi founded in 1992 by Bakili Muluzi.
The party claims to be a liberal party in Malawi and is mainly strong in the southern region populated by ethnic Yao.
Bakili Muluzi was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004.
A human rights activist based in South Africa Charles Ben Longwe, has warn politicians who wants to serve for third terms in the office of their parties that the Constitution will follow them and will not appear on the 2025 elections Ballot paper.
Ben Longwe has assured political leaders who are flouting the Constitutions of their respective parties to stand for third terms that they will do so only if the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) and the Registrar General of Political Parties allows former President Dr. Bakili Muluzi to stand for his 3rd term presidential bid which Malawians rejected.
Chilima been Vice President for two terms
He said Malawians of today are not those of 1964 where lies were the order of the day under Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda that Malawians were eating and dressing well while the opposite was happening, the citizens were clapping hands for nonsense.
Speaking through an audio clip from South Africa circulating in various social media platforms, Ben Longwe has assured parties that 2024 is the year of those who have served two terms in their parties to sit down and give chance to others.
Longwe has advised Vice President Dr. Saulosi Klaus Chilima that he stands a chance to stand as UTM President not government having served two terms of office as Vice President of the Republic of Malawi assuring him that no one will change that.
He said Malawi has failed to grow because of greedy politicians hungry for power claiming that Malawi has political hyenas who change mountains and becomes part and parcel of the new government to satisfy their political agendas.
The Activist has given an example of hunger which is biting Malawians hard claiming that President Chakwera has been running the country as a church looking after the welfare of a small group people while 20 million plus people are in pain and suffering.
He said it is not surprising hearing media reports that some people in Malawi are dying of hunger fulfilling Chakwera;s assignment that he will only take care of his children, friends and relatives to be rich without arresting them if found with offenses to enter prosecutions in court.
“In the Chakwera’s led government, the ACB is closed, police cells are meant for the poor and those who have no names in Malawi,” said Longwe.
He has appealed to the MCP to hold the elective conference for the party’s president assuring it that time for Chakwera to be the MCP President expired on 18th May, 2023 having stood as a presidential candidate twice in 2014 and 2019.
Longwe has challenged the Judiciary that if it allows Chakwera and Chilima to stand as presidential candidates for their respective parties, he will go to the court with his Republican Constitution for the court to prove the Constitution wrong.
He said the Republican Constitution and political party’s constitution are drivers of democracy in Malawi saying the Constitutional Court cheated Malawians that instead of holding a Re-run, fresh presidential elections were held, assuring all that this time what is in the Constitution will be followed with no shot-cuts.
Malawians are analyzing and discussing Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and the incumbent President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera and his government everyday out there as campaign period gets close. This article takes us back to the campaign period in 2019 tripartite and 2020 fresh presidential elections respectively and sightly peeping through into the coming election year 2025.
Chakwera’s Hi-5
First, President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera promised servant leadership. You are a servant leader when you focus on the needs of others before you consider your own. It’s a longer-term approach to leadership, rather than a technique that you can adopt in specific situations. Therefore, you can use it with other leadership styles such as Transformational Leadership. Servant leadership also aims to develop leadership qualities in others. This leadership style requires an individual to demonstrate characteristics such as empathy, listening, stewardship, and commitment to the personal growth of others.
Secondly, Chakwera promised to unite Malawians. There are several factors that can unite people, including shared values, common goals, and mutual experiences. For example, a shared cultural heritage can unite people, as it provides a common identity and a sense of belonging. Uniting a divided people can be a complex and challenging task, but there are several strategies that can help. Here are a few suggestions: Foster open communication: Encourage all members of the group to listen to each other’s perspectives and concerns, and create a safe space for open and respectful dialogue. If we don’t unite, if we don’t learn how to mutually, consciously, purposefully integrate within Humanity in order to integrate into Nature through similarity of form, we won’t survive as we remain incompatible with Nature’s “iron laws” that sustain the balance and homeostasis life depends on. Some of the areas that unite us such as dance, food, art and music, bring us together in harmony. Many are celebrations of life with the power to unite. Collective interests, hobbies and leisure pursuits are good examples of ways people pull together within likeminded fields.
President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera, has he delivered to the expectations of Malawians?
Thirdly, the President said he would ensure that Malawians are going to prosper together under his government. Prospering Together. There are many firsts with Reverend. Lazarus Chakwera, the President of the Republic of Malawi. In his HI-5 Agenda, the ‘P’ is for “Prospering Together”, meaning that not only a small section of Malawians should prosper, but everyone. Never before have we seen a statutory corporation calling for separate bids in equal measure, from the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the youths, women and the disabled. When someone is prospering, it means being successful or fortunate to be successful or fortunate, especially in financial respects; thrive; flourish. President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera wanted Malawians to be or become successful, especially financially: Lots of microchip manufacturing companies were mentioned that they would be established at that time.
Fourthly, Chakwera spoke strongly about ending corruption in Malawi. To end corruption, we promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all levels and across all sectors of society. A lot more can be done to fight corruption in this country. Where do we start? Expose corrupt activities and risks. Keep the public sector honest, transparent and accountable. Stop dishonest practices. Ensure public sector employees act in the public interest. Undetected and unchecked corruption in the public sector can cause serious damage including: undermining public trust in government. Wasting public resources and money. Causing injustice through advantaging some at the expense of others.
Fifth, Lazarus Chakwera preached that there would be rule of law under his government. The rule of law is a political ideal that all citizens and institutions within a country, state, or community are accountable to the same laws, including lawmakers and leaders. It is sometimes stated simply as “no one is above the law”.
The 1994 Malawian Constitution is unique in that it, among other things, recognizes administrative justice as a fundamental right and articulates the notion of constitutional supremacy. This right and the idea of constitutional supremacy have important implications for Malawi’s administrative law, which was hitherto based on the common law inherited from Britain. This article highlights the difficulties that Malawian courts have faced in reconciling the right to administrative justice as protected under the new constitution with the common law. In doing so, it offers some insights into what the constitutionalization of administrative justice means for Malawian administrative law. It is argued that the constitution has altered the basis and grounds for judicial review so fundamentally that the Malawian legal system’s marriage to the English common law can be regarded as having irretrievably broken down as far as administrative law is concerned.
*Section 43 -* of the constitution provides: “Every person shall have the right to: (a) lawful and procedurally fair administrative action, which is justifiable in relation to reasons given where his or her rights, freedoms, legitimate expectations or interests are affected or threatened.
2025 Elections
Malawians will decide again who should be their next President in 2025. Already, a tough contest is predicted between the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and the ruling Malawi Congress Party and it appears that it will be Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika versus President Reverend Lazarus Chakwera. Is APM going to win in the coming election or has Chakwera delivered his promises to retain government ? The voters will decide.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) in July 2023 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to solidify their partnership at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Homeland Security Boardroom in Lilongwe.The MOU marked the second of its kind, reinforcing the relationship between the two institutions as the country prepares for the upcoming General Election scheduled for 16th September 2025.
Will Peter Mutharika win in 2025?Malawians voting in 2020
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation on Friday revealed that construction of the Salima-Lilongwe water supply project is set to commence in February.
Speaking during a district executive committee meeting in Salima, Principal Secretary for Water and Sanitation in the ministry, Elias Chimlambe, underscored the importance of the project to the people of Salima, Dowa and Lilongwe, further describing it as a huge milestone in solving water challenges.
Mwenda and Chimlambe
Chimlambe echoed the importance of soliciting views from district stakeholders because they are going to be involved in the implementation process, adding that they will incorporate the suggestions and views into the project plan.
“This project has stalled for close to six years; therefore, to finally have it rolling will be a huge step in ensuring that water supply to the people of Salima and surrounding areas is efficient and reliable,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer for the Salima-Lilongwe Water Supply Company, which is implementing the project, Valentine Kaupa, said unlike in the past where the initial plan of the project was to supply water to Lilongwe City, currently the plan has been extended to people of Dowa and Salima.
According to Kaupa, the project budget has been pegged at over K500 billion (US$315,000,000), adding that 30 percent will be funded by the government and 70 percent from private institutions.
He said the water pumped from Lake Malawi will be treated at three designated areas, namely Lifuwu, Katengeza, Mvera and lastly at Kanengo before being distributed to residents.
While commending authorities for the progress being made on the project, District Commissioner for Salima, James Mwenda, has called for strong collaboration between council officials and the implementers of the project.
He however commended the steps taken so far of engaging council officials and district stakeholders, describing it as strides in the right direction.
“Salima people will jealously guard this project because it will solve some of the social economic problems faced by the district. As you are embarking on this project, please also take into consideration some corporate social responsibilities because the district is facing different challenges,” he said.
The project, which will improve water supply, is expected to be officially launched by President Lazarus Chakwera in February in Salima.
The Senior Member of Democratic Progressive Party and Former Reserve Bank Governor Dalitso Kabambe has threated that he will take party member Billy Malata to court
In a letter from Silungwe Consultants, Kabambe has give Malata 24 hours to retract and apologise for a post on WhatsApp or risk facing legal action. Kabambe has claimed that finds Malata’s post defamatory.
Kabambe
In the post, Malata is alleging that Kabambe sponsored him to engage in “dirty moves” fighting against DPP president Professor Peter Mutharika.
Malata has acknowledged seeing the letter on social media but it’s yet to officially reach him. He is adamant that he will make a decision on what to do next and on whether to engage his lawyers. Malata refused to say whether he is ready to apologise
Until recently when Former President Peter Mutharika declared that he will stand again, Kabambe was one of the front runners in the leadership of DPP. Many people still believe Mutharika is paving the way for Kabambe to take over the party
