Yeremiah Chihana scheming to be North’s political Goliath

Yeremiah Chihana, the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) Member of Parliament, is using his private members motion for Malawi to adopt federal system of government as a scheme to become the Northern Region’s political giant.

The Mzimba North Constituency legislator who is the only AFORD MP in Parliament intends to move a motion that seeks to change Malawi’s system from unitary to federal.

In his notice of a private members motion, Chihana argues that the change is in the interest of equitable distribution of resources, and developments in Malawi and will be a solution to the challenges brought about by the quota system of selecting students to public schools and universities in the country.

He adds that a federal system will ensure equal participation in political decisions that affect all regions of Malawi.

“This House resolves that all efforts and legal frameworks should be put in place to towards adoption of a federal system of government within a specified time period and in any case before the next scheduled elections in 2024,” reads part of Chihana’s notice of a private members motion.

Following the 2014 elections, some people in the Northern Regions also called for the adoption of federalism to end inequalities and economic exclusion.