MPs accused of cheating constituents on CDF
Some Members of Parliament (MPs) are still presenting the K7 million annual funding from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as coming from their own pockets instead of government coffers, members of ActionAid-funded Lilongwe Urban Poor People’s Network (Luppen) have said.
Speaking during a consultative meeting to disseminate information about CDF and Local Development Fund (LDF) projects in Lilongwe Urban on Tuesday, Mercy Phiri from Kauma Township said some MPs are still tricking their constituents into believing that projects under CDF are funded using funds from their own pockets.
“We just see the projects being implemented in our constituencies without being told details of where the funds are coming from. Many of us don’t know about CDF. We are made to believe that the projects are funded by MPs” said Phiri.
Luppen coordinator Harry Mamba—whose organisation fights for the rights and welfare of poor people in Lilongwe Urban—agreed that some MPs present the money as coming from their political parties.
“We have done a survey which has revealed that many people just see development projects taking place in their areas without knowing where the funds are coming from. Some MPs present the money as coming from their parties instead of government.
“Many MPs take advantage of the ignorance among constituents. These funds are meant to benefit the poor and if they don’t know the truth about the source of the money and what it is meant for, it is difficult for them to follow up on CDF projects with duty bearers. This is why we are sensitising the people on CDF and LDF,” said Mamba.
Lilongwe City Centre MP Shadrick Jonas said it was not true that MPs cheat their constituents on the source of CDF funds, saying CDF projects are implemented in collaboration with community development committees and not by the MP alone.
“We work together with community development committees and chiefs to identify and submit CDF projects to councils for implementation. CDF funds do not go into the pocket or bank account of an MP. The councils pay the money direct to the contractors. How can an MP claim that he is the financier of CDF projects in that process?” wondered Jonas.
He said MPs only participate in the identification of CDF projects in their respective constituencies and monitoring of implementation of the same.
CDF was designed to support constituency-level grassroot development projects with an aim of promoting equitable distribution of development resources across regions and controlling imbalances in regional development brought about by partisan politics.
