50+1 bill rejected

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Malawi Parliament

Members of Parliament (MPs) from the government side on Thursday blocked the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Amendments Bill.

The bill which proposes the election of the president, councillors and MPs using the 50+1 percent system was rejected when a motion was put to the House to allow Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu read it for the second time.

Malawi Parliament
Govt MPs reject 50+1 bill.

Legislators on the government side supported by some opposition People’s Party (PP) MPs voted against second reading while most opposition MPs voted yes to the motion. At the end the motion was defeated by 97 to 62 votes.

This means the bill could not be debated for it to eventually be passed hence it will be sent back to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs for redrafting.

The Assumption of Office of President (Transitional Arrangements) Bill which says a president should be sworn in 30 days after being elected was also blocked following a motion for second reading.

The blocking of the bills angered opposition MPs who suggested that government tabled the bills – which together with four others are collectively called electoral reforms bills – to stop Public Affairs

Committee (PAC) from holding nationwide demonstrations over delay to take the bills to Parliament.

Salima North West MP Jessie Kabwila noted that government only took the bills to Parliament with the aim of using its numerical advantage to block them.

Mzimba West MP Harry Mkandawire [People’s Party] wondered why government MPs were not supporting bills presented by their own minister.

“My understanding is that when a minister brings a bill, his backbenchers will thoroughly support it. But the way things have happened today is very interesting; in fact, suspicious,” he said.

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92 Comments

  1. This is a sign that the government is in total mess because the bills are not fine tuned by the opposition or PAC.The bills are made and brought by themselves so this shooting themselves.The government feels it has punished the oppostion,NO NO NO! How can an organised government bring something it knows will be rejected???

  2. Wina alira…..2019 mudzakhalanso mu mood yomweyi…titakuumbuzani…matuvi anu a PAC ndi gologolo chakwera wanuyo

  3. That’s democracy majority wins anywhere .a opposition zikuwavuta kuno ku south Africa kumuchotsa Zuma why? Government mps are in majority

  4. The greatest problem in a democratic system is misunderstanding. Malawi’s citizens are not even consulted in other relevant key issues that concens them.

  5. from historical point of view: pac speaks the will of malawians and not of a party or a person. pac defeated kamuzu banda in 1993 through referendum. pac defeated muluzi on third term in 2003. and pac gave bingu to resign in 60 days or call for national referendum, and bingu died within those 60 days (2012). now pac again with apm 2017 on 50 plus 1 %. between january 2018- december 2018, something big will happen. lets wait and see. pac has never failed malawians. pac represents God. a person cannot fight against God. in venuzula some yrs ago, declared that I will win these elections e en God cannot stop me. the following morning that sitting president was found dead.

  6. Yes it has been rejected but the referendum bill is passed, then bring the issue to referendum nobody is to blame let the public decide, and we will see what the majority say. But remember Mps were also voted

  7. Funso apa ndi loti Kodi Mukufuna kuti ma mp ndi ma councillor aziyenderanso 50+1.a MCP youth khalani pansi ndinu oluza kuyambira democracy.

  8. Thus wy malaw are still dome bcs of stupit MPs.bt just wait and see 2019 is in the corner. Mr u must prepare this farm bcs 2019 u must start farming on his farm

  9. DPP MP’s together with bought PP MP’s and the kutha NGATI makatani UDF all voted against Democracy.
    Musayikemo a MCPmu generalisation yanuyo, ALL MCP MP’s VOTED FOR THE BILL TO BE PASSED.

    1. The bill was just a trap to see how clever the parliament is. it seems even the MPs are afraid the bill will also involve them.MCP you are alone.

    2. Yes . Dpp , Udf and pp rejected the bill so what is ur problem ? Kkkkkk oh say it again whatever u are sayin without dropping some tears. Remember, we in democracy and mps have got the right to vote for whatever they feel is good for the nation. They can’t pass the bill just to please some cowards and desperate midgets who think that this is the only way they can win the upcoming general elections. 2019 ??? That will be a different ball game and just brace urself for another huge disappointment. Dpp will show u again how to win general elections and as usual , mcp will sing their favourite song “Atibela”.

    3. PAC is being partisan in it’s conduct these days. They teamed up with chakwera’s MCP to force govt to table and pass the so called electoral reform bills but thanks to democracy they have failed. It is understood that MCP was equally against the bill but they couldn’t reject it to avoid disappointing PAC.

  10. shameless pac, u claim u reprisent people then the very people deny u in parliament, my question is which people r u talking about with ur chakwela

    1. It is DPP who rejected PAC. Ife MP wathu sanatifunse maganizo athu, anayankha mwa iye yekha and more over kuno samabwera ndi chifukwa chake tikubwezeretsa MP wathu wakale mu 2019

    2. how many mps rejected the bill? and how many dpp mps r in parliament? and how many indipendents mps r in? then ask urself how many mps rejected the bill?

  11. Apa Ma Mps Athu Mwaonetsa Kukula Mu Ndale Dziko Lathuli Timadalira Kwambiri Thandizo La Kunja Ndiye 50+1 Ya Pac Ingathandize?Apa Zaonetseratu Kuti Ma Mp Athu Ndiokonda Dziko Lawo.

  12. Do you mean that you reject the willing of the people of Malawi and the people of Malawi will reject you in the year caming 2019 elections you will see and you cry

  13. thus what malawi government is known for. they reject good things. but the strongly will to have bad things. in 2013, prophet bushiri said malawi is a cursed nation, now we must believe it that malawi is a cursed nation. the remedy to it, is total deliverance.

    1. aaaaah sometimes we buy injustice by bribing some mps. about 34 mps were not present on voting. these 34 mps WERE NOT OF MCP BUT

    2. Shame ..u r prodly pronoucng 2013 bushiri said…forgetng u a Malawian…incase you dnt knw what t means by a cased nation..it means pipo in the nation can’t be fruitful and progres..or ts the pipo who are cased together with the land …so where are u? zambia..pathetic

    3. is malawi nation fruitful and progressive. no electricity for the three days? can malawians be fruitful and progressive?? by the way, what is to be fruitful and progressive? check in the dictionary.

    4. is malawi nation fruitful and progressive. no electricity for the three days? can malawians be fruitful and progressive?? by the way, what is to be fruitful and progressive? check in the dictionary.

    5. 50 plus 1 is not for mcp and not for any political party. a true leader must win with 50 plus 1. not jst 36%. it means 64% did not want leader. the rules of elections used today were formed by some other people many years ago. the usa electing the prrsident was formed over 200 years ago and yet today america is enjoying the fruits made by thier forefathers.

  14. Not mps from gvt side. Its parliament which has rejected 50+1% . govt has few mps but 100 mps voted against it 59 mps were for it nde dont distort the story..

    1. Very true, people always want to side anything they think its bad with government but if we look to the numbers that defeated this bill is more than that of ruling party. The lesson for PAC is that it must start handling matters of national interest without crooked minds as all politicians are as equal to big crooks that thwarts amateur’s plans easily.

    2. It is DPP, PP and idiotic UDF who rejected the bill chifukwa cha DYERA.
      LET’S SEE IF YOU WILL MANAGE TO BRIBE THE WHOLE COUNTRY IN ORDER TO WIN 2019 ELECTIONS.

    3. #Kaombe, kumaopa bodza. It was not secret ballot. Amayankha “yes” or “no” poyitanidwa. Enafe tamvera nawo parliament. Nde izi za secret ballot muziwanamidza amavera MBC WO.

    4. #Leroi do you know how much it would cost , for the whole elections to take place again (a rerun of president, mp,councillor.) If that bill had passed? Kodi mukufuna Mp aziyenderanso 50+1!??

    5. Malawi Parliament rejected the bills… PAC lost its relevance lija ng ago, they are a big disgrace, they no longer speak on behalf of voiceless Malawians. PAC is there to destabilize this peaceful nation, it no longer commands the respect it used to years back.

    1. Zimenezi Zoononga Ndalama Zimafunika Maiko Ochita Bwino Kuphatikiza Apo Zimaenera Nthawi Ya Bakili Yomwe Kunali Zipani Zambiri

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