By Iommie Chiwalo

Representatives of a consortium of human rights activists captured during the briefing

Consortium of human rights activists announces plans to hold nationwide peaceful demonstrations on July 28 2022 to push President Chakwera to scrape off presidential immunity and, also, give a clear direction on how his government will deliver the rest of the promises, complete with a clear time-frame.

In a joint statement made available to this publication, the activists have reminded President Chakwera that he is using borrowed powers, according to Section 12 of the Republican Constitution, therefore, he neither has power to decide the right time to honour his campaign promises nor the luxury to prioritise them.

“Our message to President Chakwera is very simple: Scrape off presidential immunity and show Malawians that you are not compromised in any way, especially in leading the fight against corruption, or keep changing tunes and goal posts on your campaign promises, and risk being branded a liar,” reads the joint statement.

Namiwa (Centre) during the briefing

The grouping led by CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, Olive Mpina of PACENET, Phunziro Mvula and other concerned citizens say if it reaches the point of branding the President as a liar, automatically he is not fit to serve in the high office of the presidency.

The grouping says has taken this position following the expiry of a two-week ultimatum which CDEDI gave President Chakwera on the 4th of July 2022.

Making it on goodwill, the activists are convinced that by scrapping off presidential immunity, Dr. Chakwera would not only have delivered on one of his flagship campaign promises, but rather making a bold statement that he was not entangled in any corruption scandals that have rocked the country in the two years of his leadership, as feared by some quarters.

The said national wide demonstrations are part of the initiative called ‘Action Against Presidential Immunity (API)’, which, according to the activists, is aimed at setting a precedent to stop politicians from taking Malawians for granted and, to ensure that politicians do not get away with their unfulfilled campaign promises and lies.

“API, therefore, calls upon all well-meaning Malawians to join hands in forcing President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance administration to own up and deliver on their sugar-coated campaign promises, which they made prior to the June 23, 2020 court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election. One of such flagship promises was to scrape off the presidential immunity as a means to ending corruption in Malawi,” reads the statement.

CDEDI in collaboration with the Pan-African Civic Educators Network (PACENET), the Social Revolution Movement (SRM), Centre for Democracy Watch (CDW), Mzuzu and Karonga Youth Caucuses, together with a number of individual Human Rights Activists and Concerned Citizens have since asked President Chakwera to direct the Law Commission and the Attorney General to start the process of amending Section 91 of the Constitution, as one way of honouring his pledge of trimming presidential powers.

Apart from the Human Rights activists, vice President Saulos Chilima also pleaded for the removal of presidential immunity.

There are some traits of corruption that are believed to have been influenced from the presidency.

Sadly during the recent quarterly press briefing held at state House, members of the media were shocked to learn that trimming presidential powers was currently not a priority.

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