The main opposition, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is calling for the resignation of the State Vice President Saulos Chilima from position of Chairperson for the Public Sector Reform Commission over Mchinji By-election rigging attempts and intimidation by his personal assistant.
The MCP spokesperson responsible for Administration, Alekeni Menyani says their party members have lost trust in Chilima as leader championing the country’s reforms following his assistant Moses Kuchingale conduct.
It is reported that MCP Director of Elections, Maxwell Thyolera saw the vice president aide with some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials in some voting centres in Mchinji during yesterday’s By-elections, impersonating Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) officials by putting on MEC uniforms instead of political party monitors uniforms.
“As Malawi Congress Party, we want the vice president to voluntarily resign from chairing the Reforms Commission” said Menyani who indicated that MCP members are making these calls because they “do not have confidence in him chairing such a very important process.”
“The reforms committee is supposed to be the new face of this country, he is supposed to champion new ways in accountability and transparency to an upper level. But I think by having his personal assistant impersonating Malawi Electoral Commission official on yesterday, intimidating our party officials who were our monitors, we feel that they have sunk to an old time law.” He explained
But he said “unless he [Chilima] should say that he is not in control of the personal assistant” and that the personal assistant acted “by himself”, this incident has direct connection to his office.
Menyani further expressed that even if the personal assistant working in such a high office acted by himself, still the vice president is not in control of his office.
“He ought to be in control, we expect him to be in control, and we expect him to be the new face of the new Malawi championing reforms and not be a wolf in a sheep skin.” He added
He continued “There were also reports that the other lady who also impersonated the Malawi Electoral Commission official is also from the same vice president office. And we are saying how in the same place can he [Chilima] be wearing two faces? Where on the other side he wants us to believe that he is championing reforms and he wants this country to move forward, on the other side he is also the same person who wants to defeat transparency, accountability and democracy in this country.”
Menyani disclosed that the party will take the matter further to the vice president’s “superiors”, and “making it known to the president.”
He said in their report they will remind the president that as party, which is also “seriously considering going into civil disobedience, very peaceful protests that should make this country ungovernable” they also demand that Chilima must stop chairing the reforms commission “now.”
Meanwhile, Press Officer in the office of the vice president, Pilirani Phiri declined to comment on the calls but said finds MCP calls “illogically incorrect.”
MEC officials said are investigating on the incident in Mchinji West Parliamentary By-elections where MCP candidate Jephther Mwale won elections, a seat that fell vacant following the death of the late honourable Billy Kanjira Banda March 13, this year.
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