Activists led by the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) plan to hold demonstrations on 18 August and they want to deliver their petition at presidential residences so that the petition should be presented by hand to President Lazarus Chakwera.
CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa told journalists on Monday that the demonstrations, among many other things, aim at forcing President Lazarus Chakwera to deliver on his campaign promises, starting with the scrapping off of presidential immunity.
They also want government to cushion the vulnerable and the marginalized people in society from the skyrocketing cost of living through the ever-increasing prices of basic needs such as maize, fuel, cooking oil, bread, sugar and the collapsing economy.
Namiwa said that they want President Chakwera to answer their concerns which they have been presenting frequently to him through officials and this time around they will present the petition by hand to the president.
He added that they are against executive arrogance and impunity in the manner in which Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance government are handling the citizen’s grievances, contained in the numerous petitions that have so far been delivered to his office through the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) for the city councils, and the District Commissioners (DCs) for the district councils across the country.
“It is sad to note that the Chakwera administration has handled such petitions with contempt, in spite of his pledge to Malawians for servant leadership style.
“Since the delivery of the first petition to Dr. Chakwera in December 2020, there has been total silence from the State House, and neither has there been any response from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
“This has prompted the Action against Presidential Immunity to conclude that the DCs and the CEOs do not forward such petitions to the President for his attention and action,” he explained.
Namiwa went on to say that they will present the petition at any of the state residences where Chakwera will be at that material time and they will announce soon about the time and converging points.
In Lilongwe, the petition will be delivered at the Kamuzu Palace, in Blantyre, the petition will be delivered at the Sanjika Palace, in Zomba, the petition will be delivered at the Zomba State House, in Mangochi, the petition will be delivered at the Chikoko-Bay, and in Mzuzu, the petition will be delivered at the Mzuzu State Lodge.
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