The Citizens Forum for the Defence of Good Governance (CFDGG) vows to continue to make demands for concrete solutions on democratic and economic governance issues raised in recent statement by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
The newly established group says cabinet Ministers failed to provide concrete answers during a dialogue with CSOs weeks ago.
Early month of October, CSOs issued the statement which also demanded President Peter Mutharika to honorably resign if finds his office too difficult to handle and this prompted the dialogue which was shunned by the petitioner CSOs.
At the inaugural of the CFDGG on Thursday in Lilongwe, a statement was issued tackling similar issues and demands made by CSOs but with call to Government to address those issues with no hesitation.
Spokesperson for the CFDGG, Mr. Timothy Mtambo also one of the signatories to the CSO statement said at the inaugural that, there was never concrete response from Ministers during the dialogue which was facilitated by the Special Advisor to President on NGO’s and Civil Society Mavuto Bamusi and the Economic Advisor Collins Magalasi.
“These issues are being repeated because they were not addressed during the dialogue. We will continue to press for these issues until Government address them.” Said Mtambo and added that attempts made on the issues by the Ministers were general responses
Then Mtambo said the group wants from Government “concrete” and “comprehensive answers” on the issues raised and Government should seriously respond in writing providing action plan and timeframes on how it is addressing issues raised in the CSO statement.
The CDFGG in its statement further accuse Government of using “divide and rule, ambush” approach to dialogue and governance as a response to Civil Society’s statement on political and economic issues.
“Using this approach, Mutharika’s regime has gone as far as using tax payers money to mobilize and organize politically-motivated CSO’s meetings under the guise of dialogue with the petitioner CSO’s never invited.
The recent events in Lilongwe and Blantyre spearheaded by the Special Advisor on NGO’s and Civil Society Mavuto Bamusi and the Economic Advisor Collins Magalasi were not only “childish” but also a clear reflection that the recent calls for dialogue by the current regime are nothing but mere political rhetoric aimed at portraying the false picture that Government is sincerely interested in dialogue with concerned CSOs and that CSOs are shunning dialogue while the actual truth is that Government is playing double standards.” Reads the statement
But the statement says CSOs are always open to constructive contact and dialogue with Government, however, it maintains that such a dialogue must be done in good faith and mutual trust and in the best interest of Malawians and human rights for all.
The CFDGG statement, is also calling Government to publish the names of Malawi delegates to the United Nations General Assembly and the total expenditure of the trip.
“We want to know, who funded who? Because people can speculate that there are others who took their girlfriends but we want Government to be on top of things in terms of giving information to Malawians so that people should not speculate” added CFDGG Chairperson Gift Trapence
Among others, both the Forum and CSO statements wants Government to immediately address current political, human rights, democratic and economic governance problems and on poor service delivery in hospitals and education sector which includes shortage of drugs, exorbitant school fees as well as water and electricity problems in Blantyre and Lilongwe.
But Government has been indicating that it is carrying out reforms in the public service with promise to end some problems in service delivery and an end to economic problems facing the country which are a result of recent plunder of public resources dubbed Cashgate.
