Cashgate, elections occupy CSOs
The coming of the cashgate as Malawi prepares for the 2014 Tripartite Elections makes life hard for the Malawi civil society, and may bring divisions, DanChurch Aid regional representative Christian Balslev-Olesen said on Tuesday.
In an interview after over 100 delegates from across the world met at Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre on how the civil society can reclaim lost space, Baslev-Olesen said one of the recommendations from the conference was unity among civil rights activists and their organisations.
“It is unfortunate that the cashgate scandal has come as Malawi prepares for the elections, which means civil society organisations [CSOs] may not share the same view. Yet, unity is necessary and taking political sides will only lead people to lose confidence in the society,” said Balslev-Olesen.
While hailing the role the Malawi CSOs played during the transition to multiparty democracy and safeguarding democracy when it was threatened by a third term bill and growing dictatorship that culminated in the July 20 2011 demonstrations, he observed that Malawi faces a similar dilemma, with the Executive branch of government trying to take over other roles.
“In a thriving democracy, we need a strong public and private sector and a strong civil society. When one tries to usurp the other’s power, a repressive regime follows,” he said.
Livingstonia CCAP Synod’s Church and Society executive director Moses Mkandawire said the conference also recommended that repressive legal reforms against the civil society must be overcome.
“The civil society plays a great role in reducing poverty worldwide and provides a check on governments. We have agreed that we must continue with the contact and dialogue approach, but when that fails, we will resort to demonstrations,” said Mkandawire.
