PAC, SKC mum on dialogue
The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and immediate past vice-president Saulos Chilima met on Friday as part of the quasi-religious body’s ongoing efforts to resolve the current political impasse, but both sides were tight-lipped on what they discussed.
PAC met Chilima as part of dialogue with different stakeholders to resolve the political crisis which has rocked the country following the disputed presidential elections in May this year.
In an interview on Saturday, both PAC and UTM described the dialogue meeting as fruitful.
Archbishop Thomas Msusa, representing PAC said the discussion went on well and that they are making progress.
“We cannot share the content because we will do so at the end of the whole exercise. But I can assure you, it was a fruitful meeting. Both parties expressed their views and I can assure you that we are making progress,” said Msusa, who also chairs the Catholic church’s Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM).
He added that they next plan to meet MEC chairperson Jane Ansah, who is yet to schedule a meeting.
“We wrote the MEC chairperson and we are waiting to hear from her when we should meet her. We are optimistic that this meeting will be scheduled soon,” added Msusa.
UTM publicity secretary Joseph Chidanti-Malunga also refused to share what was discussed during the meeting.
Like PAC, he described the meeting as a success and that both parties were happy.
“Basically, we are happy with dialogue and we will continue with dialogue as long as stakeholders are sincere and committed,” said Malunga.
In an interview on Saturday, political scientist Nandini Patel hailed the dialogue initiative.
She said the electoral dispute the court but through dialogue. would not fully be resolved by
“The court will make a decision, but that’s not enough to unite the warring parties. We need dialogue alongside the court case and even after the court case dialogue would still be important to have people work together,” she said.
The quasi-religious body has already met President Peter Mutharika, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and Malawi Congress Party’s Lazarus Chakwera.
