Extend Sec 65 to the President—analyst
Political analyst Dr Augustine Magolowondo has said Section 65 should also be applied to the President as a way of protecting the choices the electorate make when voting an individual into the high office.
In his contribution during a public debate organised by the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) and Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) in Lilongwe on Tuesday night, Magolowondo argued that voters normally vote for candidates based on the information they have; hence, any changes to such information should be followed with consequences.
During the debate, most contributors felt that the country’s current political problems originate from the fact that former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika ditched the United Democratic Front (UDF) to form the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while already in office. On the other hand, President Joyce Banda, who was voted as Mutharika’s Vice-President in 2009, was also fired from DPP and ended up forming her People’s Party (PP) which is currently ruling without being elected.
The debate was organised to discuss whether there were any conflicts between Section 65 and Section 34 that gives an individual freedom of association.
Panellists included Magolowondo, lawyer Justin Dzonzi, DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, social commentator Wilkins Mijiga and PP deputy publicity secretary Ken Msonda, who came in for Attorney General and Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara who excused himself.
Magolowondo argued that Section 65 was put in place as a way of entrenching multipartyism and also protecting and strengthening political parties to institutionalise them and make them democratic both externally and internally.
