Federalism debate should continue—Chakwera

Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera has queried the silence on the federalism debate.

Briefing journalists in Lilongwe on Thursday, Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition in Parliament, asked the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) to release a report of the consultations and debates it facilitated on the topic.

He said the decision on the matter should go by the voice of the majority.

But PAC executive director Robert Phiri said the debate would resume in April.

Said Phiri: “As far as PAC is concerned, the debate on federalism will continue starting from April to May 2015. PAC remains committed to what delegates at the conference on inclusivity and federalism agreed in November last year.”

Chakwera said there was an urgent need for a timeline or the structure the debate should take.

He said many Malawians feel that the debate should continue for the sake of common Malawians who also feel that government values the development of some districts and regions more than others.

Debate on the need for Malawi to adopt a federal system of government was revived after the May 20 Tripartite Elections whose voting pattern showed that people still vote for leaders, notably the President, based on tribal or ethnic considerations.

Some people have argued that for even or fair spread of development, the country needed to have federal States to facilitate the same.