Mr. President, here is the thing
On June 27 2020, Malawi entered what is being referred to as the “third republic”. Many Malawians have also called this, the day “a new Malawi was born”, or so they think. The announce by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) that the opposition party candidate Lazarus Chakwera had won the fresh presidential election was welcome with fire crackers and jubilation across the country.
Let me extend my heartfelt and sincere congratulations to the President and the Vice-President. I also congratulate Malawians for ushering in a new government. It is said that elections are won by people who turn out to vote. You Malawians, on June 23, braved the cold breeze, stood in queues to cast your vote. You made your choice and for that you can pat yourself at the back for a job well-done.
Unlike the past elections when election monitoring was left in the hands of not-so-competent people, this year’s monitors came from all walks of life to protect their vote, some even using their own resources. This is the kind of citizen participation and engagement that is needed. I pray this will be sustained during all future elections and, of course between elections, ensuring that the government is accountable. Every Malawian has a part to play in changing the course of this country.
Now that elections are behind us, all eyes are on you Mr. President to lead this nation into prosperity. One thing you may wish to know is that there are enough people that are willing to lend a hand and contribute in whatever way to uplift economic fortunes of Malawi and its people. Mr. President, you have come at a time when so many wrong things were normalised such that the line between right and wrong was blurred.
Nepotism was the order of the day such that one had to first think of who they know before applying for a job. Having no connections to the ruling elite was as good as not applying for the job even if one was qualified. This must be completely wiped out of the face of this wonderful nation.
To achieve this, you will need to do away with petty politics. This is not time for long and winding speeches that aim at castigating those with dissenting views. It is time to look at broader national interests as opposed to narrow self-interests. This is not the time to close your ears to the people of Malawi—it will do you a lot of good to pay attention to critics. But if you choose to only listen to those with same views as yours, you will lose the plot and your fall from that throne that Malawians have put you, will be nigh.
The past regime was known for not listening to anyone except the sound of their own voices. You should know better what happened to them. In fact, you might have an easy task ahead of you if you just do the opposite of what the past regime was doing. That presidency seat can get hot if you become too important to listen to Malawians. You need all the hands on deck, including those from the opposite side. n
