CSOs ask Speaker, CJ to intervene on VP
Civil society organisations in Malawi (CSOs) on Friday called on Speaker of the National Assembly Henry Chimunthu Banda and Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo to guard against any Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) efforts to undermine the country’s Constitution which mandates the Vice-President to assume the President’s office if the incumbent is incapacitated or dead.
The CSOs said this at a press conference in the capital, Lilongwe which was chaired by Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) acting coordinator the Reverend MacDonald Sembereka.
The CSOs also threatened to challenge in court any efforts to convene Parliament to change the country’s Constitution on who is supposed to assume the presidency when there is a vacancy in the Office of the President.
“We are calling for a peaceful succession and constitutional order because of the mist surrounding the issue. The Constitution must take its rightful place in the country…The current scenario is not unusual because President Bingu wa Mutharika also ditched UDF and started his DPP, but did not leave his office.
“The Army Commander, Speaker, Chief Justice or any other office are not mentioned anywhere else in tthe Constitution to succeed the President,” said Sembereka who was flanked by activists Benedicto Kondowe, Voice Mhone, Billy Mayaya, Rodgers Newa and Martha Kwataine, among others.
The CSOs also threatened to mobilise the masses to demonstrate against any efforts to violate the Constitution on the president’s succession.
