Celebrating multiparty democracy

On June 14, Malawi will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the restoration of multiparty politics. Is there anything to rejoice about this feat? What really needs to change to ensure full enjoyment of the aspirations Malawians had when they polled for democracy? JAMES CHAVULA speaks to Public Affairs Committee (PAC) executive director Robert Phiri:

What is there to rejoice about this feat?

The jubilation is a welcome development because Malawians expressed their desire to embrace democratic values after 30 years of one party rule. Basic human rights gained currency as a result of a decision made by Malawians to usher in multiparty system of government . As PAC we take pride in the national dialogue titled “ PAC-PCD Dialogue” which led to political reforms in form of changing the one party State constitution and undertaking civic and political education in favour of multiparty politics which led to the referendum.

What really needs to change to ensure full enjoyment of the aspirations Malawians had when they polled for democracy in the June 14 referendum?

Time has come for transformative leadership that can bring effective political and economic institutions that can stir development. The political culture we have witnessed in the past years remains unsatisfactory for transformation to come to fruition. Malawi needs a radical change in attitudes and behaviour for real development to take effect.

Two months from the 20th anniversary, we are still hearing about people going into hiding for criticising ruling party and other political elites. What does it say about the state of our democracy?

On comparative basis, the state of our democracy is not all that bad as compared to last year when bad laws were on daily basis creeping in our political arena. But if left unchecked the recent developments may be a recipe for a weak democracy. Organisations should continue to provide checks and balances in such an environment.

Are you surprised that opposition voices, like T/A Bvumbwe and Congoma leader Voice Mhone, are being met with resistance and force from the ruling side?

Well, it is a surprise because the current regime has always said that it is open to criticism, so if people criticise it we expect it to clarify its position rather than attacking individuals who express their views.

Why is that tolerance as a pillar of democracy seems to be elusive throughout the history of pluralistic Malawi?

The principle of tolerance is a difficult one, however, we expect people at all levels to practise it. So the issue of tolerance is not at higher level only but even within institutions Malawians ought to practise it. And it’s a two way process rather than one way. Everybody is entitled to the principle. Anyhow, the bottom line is that Malawi has always lacked intraparty democracy, hence the principle has also painfully suffered at implementation level.

Political scientists have usually censured our democracy as a reign of recycled politicians. To what extent have these veterans, especially those who served DPP, UDF and PP government, helped to grow or threaten our democracy?

It is the same big parties that breed smaller parties. Once people have resigned from big political parties they bring to new parties they register the same tactics and ideas. Therefore the political culture remains intact , and so too the attitudes and behaviour are the same. This affects the growth of our democracy.

Is there anything Malawians can do to entrench what you call transformative leadership?

Conduct civic education that is ongoing and guided by issue -based messages. The demand for accountability has to come from the people themselves. We must move away from simple civic education to advocacy at local level through training communities on organising for action. Let communities themselves question their leadership at district level. You will yield results as far as transformative leadership is concerned. As PAC we are ready to tailor the civic education with information on quality leadership and policy issues.

Looking backwards, what type of leadership traits should Malawians avoid when they go to polls next year?

PAC has developed draft qualities of leadership but at this juncture I would pre-empt. The meeting held on 30 April, 2013 developed tentative qualities that can be shared with the masses.

Looking forward, what type of leaders do Malawians have to vote for to ensure the well-being of our democracy as we march towards the silver jubilee in 2019?

We will need leaders that are focused and committed to democratic and economic goals of this country. Those that can deal with hard issues.

How do you remember each of the presidents that have ruled the country since the fall of the one party system? Are there any characters that we can put together to make the ideal leader for the nation?

This is a debatable issue but Malawians would be able to judge them.

An opinion is gaining sway that democracy deters development. What do you make of this perspective?

It is not true. It depends on leadership style and implementation strategy and not a system. While I appreciate that democracy may not be a perfect system but so far I have not come across a system better than democracy. Other systems have always proved to be unsustainable in the long run.

Lastly, how do you feel that the country no longer recognises June 14 as a public holiday marking the day Malawi voted for multiparty politics 20 years ago?

I believe the day must be celebrated. It is long overdue.