Pressure mounts for Chakwera to scrap presidential immunity

Barely two weeks after it wrote President Lazarus Chakwera a letter asking him to trim his powers, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) has given the President six days to act towards removing presidential immunity from the Constitution or face nationwide demonstrations.

Cdedi executive director Sylvester Namiwa said in a statement released today, by scrapping off presidential immunity, Chakwera would not have only delivered on one of his flagship campaign promises, but also made a bold statement that he was not entangled in any corruption scandals that have rocked the country.

He said many Malawians expect Chakwera to declare total war on corruption by announcing that he has moved the system to amend Section 91 of the Constitution, which shields first citizens from criminal prosecution while in office.

“Cdedi would like to put it to President Chakwera that changing tunes and dragging his feet on removing presidential immunity strengthens fears that first citizens entangle themselves in corrupt activities; hence, it’s safer remaining immune,” he said.

Namiwa reiterated that the organisation will not relent but pile pressure on President Chakwera to either scrap off the presidential immunity, or come out in the open and accept that he is compromised in the fight against corruption and, therefore, not fit to continue serving in the high office.

He further accused the President of politically influencing the Anti Corruption Bureau challenging ACB director general, Martha Chizuma that Malawians are waiting for the day the alleged high-profile case involving a British businessperson Zuneth Sattar will be tackled with the urgency it deserves.

He urged Chizuma to be mindful that Malawians cannot wait forever, since there are many other equally interesting cases awaiting the bureau’s attention.

He described as an irony that the country’s laws allow for investigations and prosecution of the Vice-President for alleged wrongdoing, when the same is not extended to the President.

Addressing the nation on July 1, Vice-President Saulos Chilima called for the amendment of the Section 91(2) of the Constitution of Malawi, saying the section provides undue protection to the occupant of the office of the President of the country.

The VP further cautioned the Anti-Corruption Bureau against being abused or misused by some quarters, arguing that the bureau must not put its prosecutorial methods into question.

He also cautioned against interference in the bureau’s affairs and that the graft-busting body should not be used to dislodge him.

“One of the concrete goals of the Tonse Alliance, which is yet to be attended to, was to remove presidential immunity from criminal prosecution. This promise was pronounced under the campaign agenda of the alliance,” he said.