Chihana calls for budget formulation system change
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president Enoch Chihana has challenged government to re-assess the role of Parliament in national budget development.
He argues that the current system does not fully empower the august House to effectively contribute towards a budget that meets people’s needs.
Speaking on Sunday when the party held its 30th anniversary celebration at Mtandire in Lilongwe, the Aford leader described budget debates in Parliament as a joke.
He said some members of Parliament (MPs) are not empowered enough to change funding allocations for sectors presented by the Minister of Finance even if the figures do not cater for the people’s priorities.
Chihana said: “Initially, the MPs were meeting in clusters for two weeks prior to Parliament opening to analyse the budget before it is presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister, but there is nothing good happening during these budget analysis meetings apart from jokes.
“Even in Parliament, nothing will happen no matter how much you complain and lobby for funding for roads, schools and other projects in your constituency, because once the budget is presented by the Minister of Finance, the MPs are not empowered to change the figures.”
He has since called for the need to create a system where the MPs should be able to critically analyse, debate and make changes to the budget that serve the needs of people in constituencies nationwide.
“Last year, they passed a K2 trillion budget, but what did you get out of it for you here in Mtandire and Ntsiriza in terms of roads and school projects? This year they have passed a for K3 trillion budget, and what are you getting out of it?” he questioned.
In an interview, political scientist George Phiri agreed with Chihana’s calls, saying parliamentarians have not helped the country to realise the potential of the national budget.
He said: “I totally agree with Chihana on that because our MPs have not helped us to fight corruption aided by the national budget.
“They never make follow ups of the projects implemented by the previous year’s budget, or take to task the government to explain how it utilised the approved budgetary allocations.”
Phiri cited lack proper qualifications by most MPs as a major reason that affects them in critically understanding budgetary issues and effectively contributing to it.
Based on the current system, the Executive is responsible for formulating policy, includinh fiscal policy; hence, the Cabinet formulates the budget, while Parliament makes laws and provides oversight functions to the Executive.
In 2013, Parliament established a clusters system of analysing the budget to enable MPs have analyse the budget before it is presented to Parliament so as to make meaningful contribution in debating related issues, but both Chihana and Phiri argue that the approach has not been effective.
The Aford rally attracted notable faces such as veteran politician Ken Msonda, former president Bingu wa Mutharika’s religious adviser Malani Mtonga, former UTM Party youth director Bon Kalindo, and musician Joseph Mkasa.
The anniversary comes amid the party’s rebuilding exercise which has seen its president Enoch Chihana announcing that the party will go solo in the 2025 presidential elections, having been one of the governing Tonse Alliance partners in the 2020 elections. Aford came in the political lime light in 1993 and its founder the late Chakufwa Chihana is known as one of the key fighters for multiparty democracy in Malawi.
