CSO pushes for referendum on federal system
The Federalism Institute, a civil society organisation, has urged government to call for a referendum on the adoption of a federal system, arguing that the unitary system of government has failed in Malawi for decades.
Addressing the press in Lilongwe on Thursday, the CSO’s chairperson Lusungu Simba Mwakhwawa said 59 years since Malawi attained independence, the majority of citizens continue to suffer injustices, corruption and poverty while government is not accountable on many issues.
He said adopting federalism is the solution to the current national problems.
Said Mwakhwawa: “The country has undergone turbulent times largely because of a poor system of governance that has worsened economic instability, regionalism, tribalism and nepotism. This is why we are calling on the Head of State to initiate a referendum on the adoption of a federal government.”
In a telephone interview, political analyst Victor Chipofya said while a federal system of government is possible in Malawi, there is need for its advocates to be logical on why they want it.
He said: “We need to be logical. If you want to deal with corruption, start arresting those involved in corruption by, among other issues, strengthening governance institution such as the judicial system.”
Chipofya added that Malawi has been implementing decentralisation, which is close to the federal system in terms of policies, but the local and district councils continue to rely on the central government.
A federal system provides a mechanism that allows each region to maintain its fundamental political integrity unlike the unitary system where the central government is supreme.
Calls for a federal system of government in Malawi have been made since 2014 when the then Democratic Progressive Party regional governor (North) Christopher Mzomera Ngwira claimed that Malawi was safer divided into federal regions, allowing each to decide its development path with limited interference from the central government.
In September 2019, Mzimba North legislator Yeremiah Chihana tabled a motion proposing a constitutional change from the unitary system of government to federalism to facilitate equal distribution of resources and development across the nation.
This was after a similar Bill was tabled, without success, by Rumphi East parliamentarian Kamlepo Kalua.
Since then several politicians and activists have called for an amendment of the Constitution and a referendum on a federal system, which they argue will provide for better accountability, transparency and equal distribution of State resources.
Malawi inherited the unitary system from its British colonial masters in 1964 when the country’s population was about 4 million
