Suleman Chitera 
Malawi Freedom Network
The controversy surrounding First Vice-President Jane Ansah’s absence from Cabinet meetings has taken another turn, with the Malawi Freedom Fighters (MFF) demanding a public explanation from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over why the country’s First Vice-President is allegedly being left out of key government meetings.
MFF leader Kinka Makoloni has called on the DPP leadership to come out in the open and explain what is behind Ansah’s reported exclusion from Cabinet proceedings.
Makoloni argues that Ansah was elected alongside President Arthur Peter Mutharika and holds one of the country’s highest constitutional offices, making her exclusion from government business a matter that deserves public clarification.
The issue comes after Ansah publicly complained that she had not been invited to Cabinet meetings and had not received Cabinet papers on some occasions.
Her remarks have intensified questions about the working relationship between the First Vice-President’s office and the machinery of government.
Ansah has previously indicated that she wrote to Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Justin Saidi seeking explanations over what she described as developments affecting her office. Saidi has not publicly provided a detailed response to the allegations.
The controversy is not entirely new.
In July, questions were raised after Second Vice-President Enoch Chihana chaired a Cabinet meeting in Lilongwe while Ansah was reportedly available in the capital.
Chief Secretary Saidi said at the time that the President had the authority to delegate either Vice-President to chair Cabinet meetings, while saying he was not aware of why Ansah had not attended that particular meeting.
The constitutional dimension of the dispute has also attracted debate.
Section 92(3) of the Malawi Constitution sets out the order in which Cabinet meetings are presided over, with the President taking precedence, followed by the First Vice-President when the President is temporarily absent, and the Second Vice-President when both are unavailable.
However, there have been differing interpretations of how this provision interacts with the President’s power to delegate responsibilities. Chief Secretary Saidi has maintained that the President can delegate the chairing of Cabinet to either Vice-President, while constitutional lawyer Seodi White has argued that the specific constitutional provision governing Cabinet chairmanship places limits on that discretion.
Against this background, MFF says Malawians deserve to know why Ansah is allegedly not being included in Cabinet meetings.
Makoloni says the office of the Vice-President is supported by public resources and therefore the public has a legitimate interest in understanding how the office is being incorporated into government decision-making.
The DPP has previously said it had not received any complaint from Ansah regarding the matter.
That position, however, has not ended the questions surrounding the issue, particularly after Ansah herself spoke publicly about her experience.
The dispute now places the spotlight on the relationship between the Vice-President’s office, State House, the Office of the President and Cabinet, and the governing DPP.
For ordinary Malawians, the central question remains straightforward: Why is the First Vice-President reportedly being left out of Cabinet meetings, and who made that decision?
Until a clear explanation is provided by the relevant authorities, the controversy is likely to continue generating questions about the functioning of the Executive and the practical role of the country’s First Vice-President.
Malawi Freedom Network will continue following developments.
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