Political and good governance experts are continuing to weigh in on Vice President Jane Ansah’s claims about her relationship with President Arthur Peter Mutharika, with one expert suggesting she may have been diplomatic about the state of affairs.
Political and good governance expert Joseph Kandiyesa has questioned Ansah’s claim that her relationship with Mutharika is good, arguing that the President would have entrusted her with more responsibilities if the relationship was genuinely strong.
Kandiyesa argues that if the relationship between the two leaders was good, Mutharika would be assigning Ansah various government responsibilities, unlike the situation currently being observed.
“If the relationship was good, the President would be sending the Vice President to perform various duties, unlike what is happening now,” said Kandiyesa.
He has also rejected claims that other people are responsible for Ansah’s absence from Cabinet meetings, arguing that the Vice President can only be assigned duties by the President.
“The Vice President is not sent by special individuals apart from the President. So, to say that other people are the ones preventing her from attending Cabinet meetings is simply a lie,” he said.
Kandiyesa has called for changes to the laws governing the Office of the Vice President so that the responsibilities of the position are clearly defined when a person is appointed.
Political and good governance expert George Phiri has supported the call for legal reforms, saying Malawi needs to address recurring disagreements between Presidents and their deputies.
Phiri says tensions over the working relationship between Presidents and Vice Presidents have existed since the establishment of the Office of the Vice President in 1994.
“The time has come for Malawi to change its laws so that the disagreements that arise between the President and Vice President can come to an end,” said Phiri.
He has further called for a review of how the two offices operate together and questioned whether Malawi should continue having the Vice Presidency, arguing that government spends significant resources on an office whose occupant may not always have clearly defined duties.
