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Hubbub will be the order of the day at Comesa Hall in
Blantyre, as President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) presents his nomination
papers— not for the first time.
In 2014, as a new-comer to high-level politics, he trudged
to familiar grounds, Comesa Hall, to present his nomination papers to the then
Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) chairperson, the late Justice Maxon Mbendera.
Today, although he heads to the same familiar grounds, he
faces a completely different situation; a new Mec chair, Justice Jane Ansah. In
fact, he wears the cloak of sitting president, unlike five years ago, when he
was just one of the opposition figures aspiring for high office.
They say ambitions may be cultivated with comparative ease;
turning them into ‘hard’ reality is the big deal. Nothing short of victory
relieves one of the ponderous yoke of ambition.
Sometimes, even when one gets rid of the ponderous
yoke of unrealised dreams, one more problem pertains to the unwieldy burden of
public expectations.
What, often, acts as the light that sparks public expectations
is the campaign tool called manifesto. On their own volition, political parties
concoct manifestos and sell them to would-be voters as one sells products or
services.
In terms of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),
the horse APM rode in 2014, its manifesto was one of the most sound, premised,
as it were, on people— hence the title ‘Towards A People-Centred Government’.
One of the issues pertained to ridding the presidency
of some of its powers.
The other issue related to the promotion of
accountability in governance institutions, notably the graft-busting body
Anti-Corruption Bureau, prosecution bodies such as the Directorate of Public
Prosecutions, law-making institutions and institutions that audit public funds,
notably National Audit Office.
The DPP also pledged to promote access to education—
by, for example, constructing universities to ease pressure borne by public
universities such as the University of Malawi, Mzuzu University, Lilongwe
University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Malawi University of
Science and Technology.
Security found its way to the list, too, which is not
strange because a nation afraid is a nation cowed.
Top on the list was, of course, the agriculture
sector. Reforms were promised on the issue of the provision of farm inputs,
which, we were told, would be accessible to everyone.
Freedom of expression was another ‘goat’ thrown at the
altar of political promises.
Economic development was also the main course of the
meal.
There are other areas that captivated voters’
attention and the above-listed are just some of those. The self-created burden
of public expectations was, therefore, premised on this.
It has been a mixed bag, though.
On economic development the DPP has delivered, as
evidenced by factors such as an import cover that, for the better part of the
five years, has hovered above the required three months. Economic stability, as
evidenced by an unwavering kwacha when pitted against currencies such as the
United States dollar, euro and Great British Pound, has been a sub-theme to the
economic resurrection story.
What is more? Single digit inflation, for the better
part of the 25 years of multiparty politics a far-fetched dream, has been a
reality. In November last year, there were fears that it would be a thing of
the past as we slid back into double digits, only for us to turn the corner
again. As we speak, the song is that of single digit inflation.
Then, there is the issue of reduced policy rate. In
the past 14 months, the rate has been revised downwards twice.
In terms of access to education, the government has
abolished tuition fees in secondary schools. In fact, Education Minister Bright
Msaka has issued a warning that, if students still fail to meet other financial
demands of schools and are sent home, the government will not hesitate to act
on the ‘heartless’ school administrators.
Other gains have been made in other areas, something
that cannot be taken away from the DPP administration.
However, as if the manifesto points were an egg that
is thrown back at the hen that laid it, some ‘rotten’ eggs are thrown back at
the smooth face of the ruling party.
One of the bad eggs is failure to make access to farm
inputs open, instead of targeted, so that every citizen can have a fair share
of the cake. As a result, traditional leaders continue to become subjects of
ridicule among subjects, notably because the identification of target
beneficiaries of Farm Input Subsidy Programme remains a well-kept secret.
In terms of construction of universities, Mombera
University remains a dream; a dream at foundation-stone level five years down
the line.
Then, there is the issue of relinquishing some of the
president’s powers. Instead, we have seen him increasing his grip on power. For
instance, he is on record to have vetoed the appointment of the Clerk of
Parliament Charles Mkandawire, despite the Parliamentary Service Commission
opting for him after exhaustive interviews. Mutharika’s pick was Fiona Kalemba.
In terms of information dissemination, he promised to
let Malawi Broadcasting Corporation free. The idea was to make it a truly
national broadcaster bankrolled by taxpayers.
Whether that has materialised is everyone’s guess.
Access to education remains a far-fetched dream for
the majority poor, which is why the current administration has stuck to ‘quota
system’.
But, in a world distracted by demands of daily life, it
could be that people were too busy to notice these and are ready to move on.
After all, there is always a second chance.
It is possible that, as APM presents nomination papers today, he has found another way through which Malawi can get out of nauseating poverty.
It could be that, as he presents papers today, he has renewed hope that it is possible to support one’s manifesto points with action and be seen to be under obligation to fulfill them.
Whatever the case, what is clear is that, whoever submits nomination papers and whoever wins, an endless procession of problems will, surely, march through the next five-year-term as if on a mission to frustrate Malawi.
Putting a stop to that is a collective responsibility.
Talking of collective responsibility, framers of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act realised that leading a nation is not a one-person’s act, hence inserted the provision that one should have a running mate.
So far, APM has kept the identity of the running mate under wraps. But, then, today is a day of reckoning. There is no place big enough to hide the DPP running mate and, like all secrets, the secret has to come out.
The nation will be interested in the aftermath of the declaration [of running mate]. Will the individual be a divisive figure or unifying factor?
The desirable outcome is when the nation is more attracted, than surprised, by the choice of the running mate. Whatever the case, ambition is one and indivisible. As such, we also aspire for a prosperous Malawi.
APM could as well be polished for the next course of action— ruling for five more years— but voters are the best judges. That is the sweet-cum-sacred side of democracy; lesser mortals choosing those who, soon, become too important to care about the majority poor.
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