Leader of Opposition in parliament George Chaponda has described it as “retrogressive” and vowed to block the Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) proposed age limit bill, which he says aims to bar DPP leader Peter Mutharika from contesting in the 2025 presidential elections.
The proposed amendment to Section 80(6) of the Constitution of Malawi, seeks to introduce a 75-year age limit for presidential candidates. Reports indicate that the government has set aside K300 million of taxpayers’ money to bribe stakeholders, including Members of Parliament, to support this bill.
However, Chaponda took to Facebook to condemn the bill saying it undermines democratic principles. “This is a retrogressive move that has no place in our democracy,” Chaponda warned the MCP government. “The people of Malawi did not elect you to pursue personal vendettas or to undermine our democracy.”
The leader of the opposition said the Malawi parliament should prioritize a budget that will alleviate the suffering of people, not bills that seek to settle political scores.
He then assured Malawians that the Democratic Progressive Party would not allow the bill to be tabled. “I want to assure Malawians that we will not allow this bill to be tabled. The business committee of Parliament will be meeting soon, and I will make sure that this bill is rejected outright.”
Chaponda also emphasized that the DPP is committed to finding solutions to the real challenges facing the country, including hunger, lack of forex, and economic stagnation.
The proposed age limit bill has sparked concerns about the erosion of democratic principles and the potential violation of international human rights standards.
