Chisi calls for Chilima’s resignation for reading a letter urging Catholics to protests over Electoral Reforms Bill

Umodzi Party (UP) President Professor John Chisi has called for the immediate resignation of the country’s Vice President Dr. Saulosi Chilima for accepting to read a letter by the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) urging Catholics across the country to join the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) in protesting against delay by government in tabling electoral reforms bill.

PAC gave government a 7 days ultimatum to table the Electoral Reforms Bill as well as the Local Government Reforms Bills or face nationwide protests.
But government took the ultimatum lightly, the development forced PAC today December 13, 2017 as a day for national wide demonstrations.

The demonstrations received overwhelming support from all corners and Bishops across the country on December 2, 2017 issued a letter urging Catholics across the country to patronize the demonstrations.

At St Patrick’s Parish in Area 18 in Lilongwe ECM letter on demonstrations was read by the Country’s Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima.

Chilima’s move to accept and read the letter attracted debate on among Malawians with others backing him while others calling him a traitor.

Speaking in an interview with faceofmalawi reporter, Chisi described Chilima as a betrayer.

“It becomes difficult to appreciate the motives of these issues if the whole Vice President stands against his colleagues in Government. It bluffed me and I realized that this country lacks statesmen. Why can people not resign if they are not part of a system? Why should the Vice President not resign if he does not agree with the Policies of Government?

“The VP should have defended his Government and cooled down the tempo instead of reading a letter which put PAC in disrepute more sons the Catholic church. What are the motives of our VP. Why should we spend money on him if he does not work or cooperate with his colleagues in Govt? He certainly stabbed them in the back. He should resign for the betterment of our democracy,” said Chisi in a Whatsapp interview from Germany.

On claims by some people backing the Vice President that he did nothing wrong in reading the letter, Chisi said: “Would your wife put you in an awkward position if she loves you even if she was told to say. He was compromised and there were other Catholics that would have read the letter instead of him.”

Meanwhile PAC has called off the demonstrations after government circulated the remaining bills including the much talked 50+1 electoral system.