Tembo outlines MCP vision for Malawi
Thom Chiumia
11 April, 2009
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate John Tembo has urged Malawians to to objectively take stock of the political, economic and social development that has taken place over the last fifteen years to vote wisely on 19 May elections.
“We need to assess the gains and losses made and make a firm decision to put in place appropriate leadership and a political party that can provide the necessary political stability and rapid and sustainable economic and social development aspired by all Malawians,” Tembo says in an introduction to MCP electoral manifesto.
He says Malawi and its citizens have gone through various experiences during the last fifteen years which include problems of food security, problems of individual and personal security, unstable interest and exchange rates and economic mismanagement,corruption, rampant disregard of the rule of law, including constitutional provisions.
Tembo who political analysts favouring him to be front –runner in the polls after entering in coalition talks with former president Bakili Muluzi and his UDF party says although there were some gains on the economic front at the macro level, the benefits of the gains were felt by only a few.
“ On the basis of the experience of the last fifteen years, we believe that Malawians are eager to have a government that will not only guarantee them food security and proper fiscal, monetary and financial management, but a political party and Government whose priority is to develop a sense of patriotism, and acceptance of the principles of democracy in which the differences of opinion and the principle of separation of powers are cherished and the importance of the rule of law acknowledged in practice,” says the prospective Malawi President.
He assures that his MCP party stands ready to contest in the May election and to meet these expectations of Malawians.
“MCP wishes to remind Malawians that, as the country searches for prosperity and new opportunities for its people, let us all remember with pride that it is the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) that fought both colonialism and imperialism, defeated the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and brought independence, economic progress and human dignity to the people of Malawi.
“It is against this background that the MCP stands ready to contest in the 2009 elections as it has a lot to offer in the areas in which Malawians have found hardships in the last fifteen years,” says Tembo.
On the electoral manifesto, he says it lays down the political philosophy and the broad policy framework upon which the MCP administration, once elected, will concretize its broad vision of reconciliation, reconstruction and development of Malawi, in particular, poverty reduction and national development.
He says the manifesto is intended, once the MCP is elected into power, to reverse the declining trend in socio-economic development by laying a sustainable economy and state infrastructure that grows and provides jobs and makes life better for all Malawians, regardless of their political, ethnic and religious affiliation.
“This will be achieved by, among other things, reducing government over-expenditure and economic mismanagement, initiating projects and programs aimed at growth and development, correcting imbalances in resource distribution, eliminating inequalities prevalent in the society, reducing corruption at all levels, supporting and subsidizing production instead of consumption, empowering all Malawians to take part in the development process, creating a feeling and the spirit of loyalty, patriotism and pride to be aMalawian,” says the veteran politician also known by his initials, JZU.
Tembo who once served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi says Malawi today is worse off in governance and corruption than it was fifteen years ago but acknowledges that the country is now able to produce enough food.
“Although [Malawi] is able to produce enough food to feed itself, there is gross mismanagement of the quantities produced and the marketing for the interest of the people of this country, and there is high level of political intolerance that is inconsistent with the spirit behind democracy and multiparty politics,” he says.
Tembo notes: “The Poverty Alleviation Program which was designed to uplift the living standards of the majority of Malawians has turned into an instrument of political patronage.”
“Corruption is rampant and there is a high rate of crime in the country. The country’s infrastructure is in a state of disrepair, the value of the once strong Malawi Kwacha has deteriorated seriously, and there is a very high rate of unemployment.”
On education, the presidential hopeful says Malawi’s education quality which was the envy of its neighbours has declined so drastically at all levels that nobody is now proud of it.
“The credibility of the MCE examinations has become questionable because of corruption among those responsible for the printing and distribution of examination papers. There are chronic shortages of essential drugs in public hospitals in addition to serious congestion and poor state of the facilities. The list of the ills is endless,” says Tembo urging Malawians is to vote wisely during the forthcoming Presidential and Parliamentary Elections.
He says failure to use their votes wisely will give another mandate to President Bingu wa Mutharika’s DPP chance to rule the country to sanctify corruption, nepotism and discrimination, hunger amid plenty, crime, drug shortages, economic mismanagement through corruption and substandard implementation of projects and unemployment.
JZU says MCP having been in government before, is well experienced, well geared and determined to bring genuine socio-economic development to the country under the new multiparty dispensation.
“MCP pledges that its primary task, once elected into power during May 2009 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, will be to reconcile all the diverse political, economic and social forces to work for the common good of the country,” Tembo says, adding “It also pledges a politically stable, economically prosperous, socially healthy and technologically competitive economy.”
The MCP administration further pledges that it will be committed to the propagation of a vibrant democratic Malawi nation by nurturing the development of a robust democratic culture, by fostering the enjoyment of human rights and democratic freedoms through the full consolidation and institutionalization of democratic traditions, that provides a catalyst for peace, stability, unity and progress.
“The MCP is committed to take Malawi out of its political, economic, cultural and social mess,” pledges Tembo.
He asks for Malawians to vote for MCP in order to concretize its vision for the country into reality.
“Once the MCP is granted the mandate, it will take Malawi on a course of rapid recovery in the social and economic spheres and will consolidate the gains in the cultural and political fields.
“The MCP once again wants to assure all Malawians that it is equipped with the necessary sound insights, strategies and policies to make Malawi a better nation once again. The appeal, therefore, is that all Malawians should rise and restore the pride of the nation. Let us, as voters, not lose the chance this time,” says Tembo.
He reminds that on 14th June 1993, Malawians under MCP rule decided to transform the system of Government from one party state to a multiparty and that since then three elections have been held, in 1994, 1999 and 2004 during which the people of Malawi voted the UDF party into office.
“The 2004 election results were controversial in that there were concerns about rigging. The Malawi Congress Party was the main aggrieved party but the court process could not be pursued on technical grounds relating to the constitutional time period within which complaints should be filed.
“However, the President elected under the UDF banner during these rigged elections, defected to form his own Party, The DPP. This development resulted into a number of situations in the country, including the defection of Members of Parliament from their political parties to join the DPP, the party that became a ruling party outside the General Election Process,” says Tembo.
He says the defections were in contravention of Section 65 of the Constitution.
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