Chakwera told to step down for making false campaign promises

Malawian rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has demanded President Lazarus Chakwera to immediately step down for making false campaign promises.

CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa in a Monday press statement said it is sad that president Chakwera made some promises just to be voted into the high office of the presidency.

Namiwa said he was shocked on Sunday night, 17th of January 2021 when President Chakwera who was addressing the nation told Malawians that the Tonse Alliance campaign promises were made on assumptions and conditions that no longer hold.

The CDEDI director said this is highly insensitive, careless, irresponsible and a futile attempt to dupe Malawians who voted for the Tonse Alliance following their campaign promises one of which was that they will contain the further spread of the pandemic but to no avail.

Namiwa said Chakwera’s sentiments clearly vindicate CDEDI’s earlier stand that Malawians were on June 23, 2020 sold a dummy as barely six months in office, the president has backtracked on almost all his flagship campaign promises.

He continued to say the sentiment is a clear testimony that Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance partners are liars and can no longer be trusted with the responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the 18 million plus Malawians hence the need for him to step down.

“The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is demanding President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera to immediately step down for confessing publicly to Malawians that he made false campaign promises just to be voted into the high office of the presidency.

“This is contrary to section 12 of the Republican Constitution that emphasizes on trust between those in authority and those that are being governed. Breach of trust is enough reason for the President to stepdown, with immediate effect,” reads part of CDEDI statement.

Namiwa further added that Chakwera’s decree to close markets by 5pm, reminds people when he told the former ruling party, DPP that Malawi is a hand to mouth economy where the poor have to hustle and rush back home in the evening to buy food from the markets.

Namiwa added that he was puzzled when the President declared a state of disaster and begged for material and financial assistance, and yet he approved a payment of over K7 Billion to lawyers who represented him and his vice in the Presidential Elections Case.

The rights group said if the President was really serious about the pandemic, he would have halted this hefty payment, and would have channeled these funds towards the fight against the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the organization will in collaboration with the Blantyre Small Scale Business Operators, the Minibus Drivers and Conductors Association and the Kabanza operators, proceed with the planned peaceful Blantyre demonstrations on Tuesday 19th January, 2021.

“We are extending this call for peaceful demonstrations in all the cities and towns against Dr. Chakwera who has proven to the nation that he cannot be trusted, and therefore should immediately resign,” reads another part of the statement.

The demonstrations were expected to be held last Friday but were postponed when the country was observing three days of mourning the death of two cabinet ministers, honorable Lingson Belekanyama and honorable Sidik Mia who all succumbed to COVID-19.