PAC URGES PARLIAMENT TO PASS 50+1 ELECTORAL BILL.

By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza

The quasi-religious grouping, public Affairs committee {PAC} says it is still hopeful that the 50%+1 electoral bill will be tabled in parliament as recommended from the court ruling on the presidential elections case which was delivered on February 3, this month.

Chairperson for the grouping monsignor Dr Patrick Thawale was reacting to the reports rife in the country that some members of parliament were planning the shoot down the bill when it is tabled.

Thawale told journalists in Blantyre that the grouping felt the bill was still relevant to the electoral reforms and democratization of the country.

“We call upon the parliament to deliberate reforms with interest of all Malawian’s at heart. In this regard, we wish to state that parliament is an institution of paramount importance in shaping the future of the country. Good decisions made on the reforms in line with the ruling will greatly contribute to definition of Malawi’s destiny,” said Thawale.

Thawale, who said his grouping will still pursue the bill until it is passed in parliament, said the religious body will do so not because of the court ruling only but based on the conviction that a sound electoral legal framework serves as a tool for conflict prevention as well as management.

“The minority elections are what is making our democracy not to work and have tribalism system. We will have a unified factor when we have the 50+1 system of electing people during elections because views of many Malawians will be carried on board,” said Thawale

According to Thawale, his grouping hasn’t yet started the process of meeting the legislature in its bid to woo them to recommend the bill in parliament despite the court verdict that the fresh elections should be held in the next 150 days using the 50+1 electoral system.

Thawale said PAC felt pity that the bill was defeated in parliament despite it being very viable to the electoral reforms.

The chairperson also faulted the current government for turning the bill political despite advocating for the same during the 2014 election campaign.

The 50%+1 electoral reform bill was a recommendation from the federation consultation meeting which the law commission conducted across the country to examine public trust in light of corruption scandals and poor state of governance. The bill was tabled in parliament in 2017 but was shoot down.

During the 2014 elections, president Mutharika won with 36 % of votes, a development which Thawale said, resulted into a call for the electoral reforms to ensure the well-representation of development initiatives.

In its recommendations from the court ruling, the grouping said the country was on a new path following the ruling because long-outstanding issues such as electoral reforms and specifically the 50+1 have been narrowed

On the other hand, PAC also thanked the citizenly for exercising peace before and after the court verdict and urged the citizenly to maintain the prevailing peace and rule of law.

The grouping also thrown its weight on the process of assessing the commissioners of the Malawi Electoral commission (MEC).

PAC is a mother body of religious associations such as the Episcopal conference of Malawi (ECM), Evangelical association of Malawi (EAM), Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi (QMAM) and Malawi Council of Churches (MCC).

The committee was formed in 1992 during the country’s political system of government.