Four presidential candidates whose parties were represented in the recently dissolved Parliament have snubbed the Malawi Law Society (MLS) on plans to implement the Judicial Reforms Acts.
MLS honorary secretary Francis M’mame said only People’s Party (PP) leader and the country’s former president Joyce Banda granted the society an audience and signed a commitment to operationalise the laws if elected.
However, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party alongside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika, UTM Party’s Dalitso Kabambe and United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Atupele Muluzi did not meet MLS.
The society also wrote former minister of Justice Titus Mvalo and Clerk of Parliament Fiona Kalemba seeking updates on steps they have taken to implement the Acts, which were passed in December last year.
M’mame said they got informal communication from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) promising a response while Mvalo indicated he would only be available after the elections.
MLS wrote the duty-bearers after noting that none of the published manifestos had made explicit commitments to implement the Acts.
“We followed up with the candidates and received indications that some might meet us. However, realising this is a busy time, we did not press further. We are very grateful to former president Joyce Banda for making time despite her equally busy schedule,” said M’mame.
Chakwera, Mutharika and Kabambe were not available when contacted but Atupele said his “extremely tight” campaign schedule made it hard to meet MLS at that time.
But Political Science Association spokesperson Mavuto Bamusi described the candidates’ snub as worrying development.
