By Vincent Gunde
Leader of Opposition in Parliament Dr. George Chaponda says he has just been informed that the MCP government under President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera is planning to table the so-called “Age-Bill” in Parliament which is clearly aimed at barring Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika from contesting in the 2025 Presidential Elections.
Dr. Chaponda says this is a retrogressive move that has no place in the country’s democracy assuring Malawians that patriotic Members of Parliament (MPs) will not allow this bill to be tabled saying the business committee of Parliament will be meeting soon and he will make sure that this bill is rejected outright.
Writing on his official face book page, Dr. Chaponda has warned the MCP against abusing their Members of Parliament arguing that the people of Malawi did not elect them to pursue personal vendetta or to undermine the country’s democracy.
“We need a budget that will alleviate the sufferings of our people not bills that seek to settle political scores,” reads Chaponda’s writings on the wall.
Dr. Chaponda says the DPP is committed to finding solutions to the real challenges facing the country including hunger, lack of forex, and economic stagnation assuring the MCP that Malawians will not be distracted by these petty attempts to undermine the country’s democracy.
And in his speech, Political Analyst Burnett Munthali, has described the bill being pushed forward by the MCP as not only undemocratic but also a direct attack on the fundamental rights of Malawians to choose their leaders freely.
Munthali says the country’s democracy is built upon the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and the right of every eligible citizen to participate in governance without unnecessary restrictions observing that the introduction of an arbitrary age limit is a violation of the principles and is setting a dangerous precedent where laws are manipulated to serve political interests rather than the will of the people.
He has urged all MPs regardless of political affiliations to reject this undemocratic bill and stand on the side of democracy saying the age limit bill is nothing more than a political tool designed to suppress competition and manipulate the electoral landscape.
“The power to choose leaders must remain with the people, not with politicians seeking to rig the system to their advantage, let’s reject this undemocratic proposal and defend our constitution,” reads Munthali’s speech in part.
