Social and Political commentator dismisses claims that Malawi is not ready for 50+1 percent in presidential vote

By Robert Kumwenda and Orchestra Kamanga

Renowned local Social and Political commentator Humphrey’s Mvula has dismissed claims by some quarters of the society that the country is not ready for 50+1 percent of electing the president.

Mvula said an election is an event where you prepare for everything that will be needed, as a country we choose democracy and the principles of democracy is ruled by the majority.

“The 50+1 percent will enable us to have a president that will have national legitimate because he will be elected by the majority unlike the current system where the person who gets highest number of votes than others is declared the winner.

“We choose democracy that need money and we agreed that the government will be ruled by politicians, there should be a contingency budget if any of the aspiring presidents will manage to secure the 50+1percent” he said.

He said for instance in 2004 the late President Professor Bingu wa Mutharika got 36 percent of the total votes the same way with the current President Professor Arthur Mutharika who got the same margin in 2014.

Mvula said the first result was that he constituted a cabinet with the majority number of people coming from where he comes from adding that most public servants and political officers are people coming from a section that voted him into power.

“The 50+1 percent will force the president to campaign widely to look for more votes and it is good because whoever wins will support those who help him and it will allow diversity unlike the way it is now. It will create national unity because at the end of the day the President will be elected by more than one group of people,” he said.

The local social and Political commentator as it is now it will not be difficult if the law will be passed this coming November in parliament and the President assent it into law. The idea of the 50+1 percent is to create a legitimacy leader.

In a related development Chairman for the quasi-religious body Public Affairs Committee (PAC) Reverent Felix Chingota told ZODIAC radio in an interview that they expect the Members of Parliament to pass the 50+1 percent bill because it is the wishes of Malawians.

He said special law commission recommended it some years ago as well as all stakeholders saying that now it now up to the MPs to pass the bill into law