14/10/2021
STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT OF MCP, DR LAZARUS CHAKWERA, TO PRESIDENT MUTHARIKA ON THE LATEST CABINET RESHUFFLE
For Immediate Release
In my capacity as President of the Malawi Congress Party, I have regularly addressed Malawians on the problems of the Mutharika Goverment for over four years, hoping that in doing so, the State President would heed counsel and, in the final analysis, use his office for sound servant leadership rather than abuse of power.
But looking at Mutharika's new cabinet, it is clear not only that Mutharika is no longer listening to good and free counsel, but also that he has no single regard for Malawians, much less the willingness to listen to their plight and undo their perils.
So, today, I direct this message to President Mutharika himself, as a last ditch effort to get him to listen.
Mr President, this cabinet you have just created is a shameful disgrace and an unprecedented insult to all Malawians.
First of all, Mr President, your new cabinet is divisive. You have now made it clear by the lopsided regional distribution of cabinet seats that you are a tribal President, not a national one.
Besides, you clearly have no interest in appointing people on merit, leaving our nation groping in the darkness of mediocrity.
So, for the sake of all the tribes and regions of Malawi, I say shame on you!
Secondly, Mr President, your new cabinet is oppressive to our women of honour. You have proven this by appointing only three (3) women to a cabinet of twenty (20) in a nation that has more women than men.
This you have done despite the fact that you are supposed to be a "He For She Champion" and a Law Professor who knows that our laws require at least 40% of female representation in decision making. You are now thus a Professor Of Law-Breaking.
You have even appointed to your cabinet someone who just recently publicly called Malawian women who support other parties by derogatory terms, as if to reward him for degrading our women of honour.
So for the sake of every Malawian woman and girl child, I say shame on you!
Thirdly, Mr President, your new cabinet is vindictive. You have shown this by the exclusion of the Vice President from the cabinet, simply because he has exercised his constitutional right to disassociate himself from your Party.
You are hindering him from doing his job, when you know fully well that he is still a member of your Government, and when you know fully well that he is drawing a salary and benefits for the work you are refusing to delegate to him just out of spite and pettiness.
So for the sake of our constitution, I say shame on you!
Mr President, I want you to mark my words: "Your time of abusing Malawians is over"
Now, you can either leave office gracefully and voluntarily or be removed by the Malawians who will boot you out of office for insulting them yet again with this cabinet.
Either way, Mr President, you better put your house in order now, because your time is up!
Dr Lazarus Chakwera, MP
President, Malawi Congress Party
Issued At Lilongwe,
November 8, 2018.
