Fresh push for federalism
Federalism Institute has written President Lazarus Chakwera to call for a referendum for Malawians to vote on whether the country should move from unitary to federal system of government.
The institute says that since the country attained the multiparty democracy, it seems to be moving backwards in as far as development is concerned, a situation that has led to excess poverty among Malawians.
In a letter dated January 3 2023 addressed to the President and copied to the Chief Justice and Speaker of the National Assembly, the institute’s six representatives observed that Malawians cannot be blamed for putting in power wrong leaders, but the problem is the current government system.
The signatories are Moses Mkandawire, Lusungu Mwakhwawa, Dr. Bina Shaba, Rabbyce Nkhoma, Dr. Rex Kalolo and Saunder Juma.
The grouping plans to engage political parties, traditional and faith leaders, civil society, community-based organisations and the diaspora community to ensure that the voice of all Malawians is heard.
Reads the letter in part: “In order to ensure that the people of Malawi do not continue to be betrayed by the few greedy politicians who represent their own interest, we have now started the process of collecting signatures as many ordinary Malawians home and abroad are demanding for a referendum on this issue.
“The purpose of this letter is to request you as per law to immediately call for a national referendum. However, if that is not yet possible, we shall take a radical approach to ensure that progress is made towards a referendum.”
Section 89 (i) of the Constitution gives the President powers to “proclaim referenda and plebiscites in accordance with this Constitution or an Act of Parliament.”
In a written response yesterday, Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako, who is the official government spokesperson, said nobody can stop the group from expressing their views.
“They are just expressing their views. Nobody is stopped from expressing themselves,” he said.
The Federalism Institute is not the first to propose the country move from unitary to federal system of government.
In 2019, Mzimba North legislator Yeremia Chihana (Alliance for Democracy-Aford) moved a motion in Parliament which was later referred to the Legal Affairs Committee for further scrutiny.
In 2006, former president Peter Mutharika, then a professor of international law at Washington University School of Law in the United States of America, also proposed federalism as a solution to address the issue of national unity.
