Plans to increase MPs faulted

As electoral authorities are scheming to increase constituencies, Nation on Sunday has established that the country has more parliamentary seats than most of its neighbours and economically powerful African nations.

The findings, assembled through data gathered on the Internet, have galvanised those opposing plans to increase constituencies.

“This will just be an economic burden to the already bedridden economy and tax payers limited resources,” reacted Willy Kambwandira,  executive director of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat).

The Malawi Electoral  Commission (MEC) disclosed nearly two weeks ago that it is rolling out a constituency and ward boundaries review with the creation of additional constituencies among the expected outcomes.

The move has since moulded a mountain  of critics who argue that increasing numbers of  members of Parliament (MPs) will only drain the already stressed public coffers.

There are 193 constituencies in the country against  a population  of 18 million, meaning the parliamentarian to constituents  ratio is pegged at 1: 93 000. In terms of land mass, Malawi sits on 118 000 square (sq) kilometres (km) so each legislator looks after 611.3 sq km.

South Africa, according to internet sources, which ranks among the richest in Africa, has 400 parliamentarians with a population  of 58 million representing a ratio of 1:145 000. The rainbow nation’s land mass at 1.2 million sq km means each parliamentarian covers  3 000 sq km.

Neighbouring Zambia, with a population of 17 million has 158 seats representing a ratio of 1: 108 000.  Its land mass is 947 000 sq km meaning each parliamentarian looks after nearly 6 000 sq km, almost 10 times more than a Malawian parliamentarian does.

On the north-eastern border, Tanzania has 58 million people and 393 constituencies putting its ratio at 1:148 000. Its land mass is 947 000 sq km so each lawmaker covers around 2 500 sq km.

In neighbouring Mozambique, the population is pegged at 30 million against 250 constituencies  representing a ratio of 1: 120 000. Its  land mass stretches on  824 000 sq km. Each legislator has a responsibility  over 3 300 sq km, six times more than that of a Malawian parliamentarian.

Within the neighbourhood, it is only Zimbabwe which has more seats than Malawi when calculated against the population. There are around 15 million people there with  270 constituencies giving a ratio of 1:56 000.

Its land mass is, however, triple the size of  Malawi as it rests on 391 000 sq km meaning each lawmaker is responsible for 1 500 sq km, nearly three times that of a Malawian legislator.

Angola, an economically  viable Southern  Africa country, has a population of 31 million with 220 legislators and a ratio of 1:140 000. On the continent, economy powerhouses, Egypt and Nigeria have a parliamentarian to constituents  ratio of 1:167 000 and  1:560 000 respectively.

Critics of the Parliament expansion argue that the move will unnecessarily bloat public expenditure of a country that already struggles to sustain itself.

A prominent United States publication, USA Today ranked Malawi among the top five  poorest  countries in the world in its July 2020 publication.

“One of the poorest countries in the world, a staggering 70.3% of the population lives on less than $1.90 a day. Poorer countries are typically heavily dependent on agriculture and subsistence farming, and in Malawi, farming accounts for 71.9% of total employment,” the article reads.

The annual wage bill for the country’s lawmakers rose from K15.4 billion in the 2019/20 National Budget to K20.7 billion in the current budget after the legislators gave themselves huge allowances and salary hikes.

Figures show that salaries for Parliament jumped from K2.4 billion in the 2019/20 Budget to K3.4 billion in the 2020/21 budget, while allowances rose from K2.2 billion in 2019/20 budget to K5.01 billion in the 2020/21 budget with internal travel pegged at K4.39 billion and external travel allocated K744 million.

Besides getting over K2.2 million monthly in salary and allowances, each legislator is also entitled to K40 million Constituency Development Fund per annum.

Kambwandira added: “The 193 constituencies are already too many for a small economy like ours.  If you look at neighbouring countries like Zambia, which is seven times bigger than Malawi, it has fewer constituencies.

“Malawians want better roads, markets,  health and education facilities. They don’t want more constituencies   that will only burden their finances.”

Speaking during a media engagement on May 20, 2021 in Lilongwe,  MEC chairperson Chifundo  Kachale  said the commission has formulated a national quotient (NQ),  which will guide in the marking of new boundaries for the constituencies and wards based on the number of eligible  voters.

“The NQ has been formulated by dividing the total number of  voters eligible to register by the current number of seats in the National Assembly…

“The projection of the total number of voters eligible to register is set at 9 672 513. This follows that NQ is equal to 9 672 513 divided by 193. The result has been rounded up to 50 117. This means in terms of  Section 76 of the Constitution each constituency is supposed to contain approximately 50 117 voters eligible to register to vote,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Catholic for Justice  and Peace (CCJP), a Catholic Church wing that promotes good governance and human rights, shot down the plans to increase the constituencies.

“Redermacation should not always focus on increasing the number of constituencies considering that Malawi is relatively a small country compared with neighbouring countries and comparatively we already have more MPs,” said CCJP coordinator Boniface Chibwana.

He said the organisation’s proposal during the redemarcation consultations was to empower councillors, and not MPs, to be in full control of development activities at local government level.

“MPs should focus on formulation of laws in the august House and councillors championing local developmental initiatives and once we have a common understanding on this then issues to do with more constituencies will fall off.  Perhaps we need to revert to more wards as compared to constituencies,” explained Chibwana.

MEC, through Section 76 of the country’s Constitution, is mandated to review the constituency and wards boundaries at intervals of not more than five years. However, the last comprehensive redemarcation was carried out in 1998 when new constituencies were created.

University of Malawi political administration professor Blessings Chinsinga was also quoted in our sister paper The Nation opposing the increase of Parliamentary seats citing the economic status.

He said the focus of the exercise should be to ensure that constituencies have equal numbers and every citizen is properly represented.

Said Chinsinga: “In an ideal situation, we needed to have reduced number of constituencies because the constituencies with bigger numbers would feed into those with smaller numbers.”

MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa acknowledged the feedback on the boundaries planned review. However, he ruled out the possibility of reducing the constituencies.

“Mec is in the process of consultations regarding the review of constituencies and wards. Stakeholders are giving their views and commission is noting them.

“Everyone is free to express their views, but the view of the Commission not to reduce the number of constituencies has been made after due consideration of the entire process,” he said.