PAC meet ends: Govt given 2 weeks to open Chanco
- Push for independence of ACB, others
The highly-emotional Public Affairs Committee (PAC) Sixth All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference ended peacefully in Blantyre yesterday with delegates making several recommendations to President Peter Mutharika’s administration, including independence of oversight institutions and reopening of Chancellor College.
Delegates presented the proposals during plenary after they were divided into 10 clusters of similar interests and requested to come up with two key issues per group as the way forward.
Besides the call to reopen Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima), which has remained closed for over six months now following a labour dispute, the delegates also recommended a cut in maize prices at State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) within the next 30 days.
They also recommended establishment of a Public Appointments Commission.
Most delegates The Nation spoke to described the conference as successful despite fears of violence by hired youths. This prompted deployment of heavy armed police around the venue.
Just like on the first day, Wednesday, tension was high at the event following propositions from some delegates that President Mutharika should resign or be removed.
However, the meeting ended on a peaceful note as participants from government side opposition political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) hugged and shook hands contrary to earlier reports of violence.
On the recommendations, the delegates proposed total independence of oversight institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
The delegates also recommended that a special committee be established comprising Cabinet ministers, PAC members and other stakeholders to look at the resolutions the religious body presented to Mutharika in 2016.
The issue of fired minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda, whose conduct with private company Transglobe was suspicious—according to two reports of commissions of inquiry, one by President Peter Mutharika and another by Parliament—also featured highly during the conference as delegates gave authorities 30 days to charge him.
The meeting also resolved that the Executive should stop using public broadcaster Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) as a political tool.
Interest groups, led by Transformation Alliance leader Moses Kunkuyu, recommended to government to reduce maize price which is at K12 500 per 50kg bag as most private traders are selling at almost 75 percent lower.
The group has also recommended that serious investigations be instituted into the death of The Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa and ACB senior official David Njauju.
Other recommendations made included bringing back to Parliament the Land Bills and expedition of the passing of the Electoral Reforms Bill.
Government delegates, who were also expected to come up with recommendations just like other groups, did not do so and informed the conference they withdrew from the cluster meetings because they were an interested party in the dialogue with PAC.
Instead, it was the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that gave recommendations on government’s behalf.
DPP legal adviser Charles Mhango expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the conference and pledged his party’s commitment in ensuring that the recommendations are respected.
Closing the conference, PAC chairperson the Reverend Felix Chingota said failure by government to implement the recommendations made by the delegates would result in more frustrations for the citizenry.
