Analyst Chilima, Callista resignation calls are baseless: Another one differs
A call by State-sponsored Forum for National Develpment (FND) that Vice-President Saulos Chilima and presidential adviser on safe motherhood Callista Mutharika should resign from their positions following their launch of United Transformation Movement (UTM) is baseless, according to University of Livingstonia political analyst George Phiri.
FND – which is branded as ‘civil enterprise’ for being paid to be speaking in favour of the State – argued that Callista should resign for getting salary and benefits without working.
And Chilima should have resigned first before he went on to attack the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administration.
FND chairperson Fryson Chonzi made the calls at a news conference in Lilongwe.
But Phiri daid Chilima has clearly dissassociated himself from DPP and not his elected office.
“Chilima has freedom of association as enshrined in the Constitution. Dissassociating himself from the party has nothing to do with his officer,” Phiri said.
He said Callista’s call smacks of vendetta as she has reportedly not been going to her office for a long time and according to State House chief of staff Peter Mukhito, Callista’s benefits were withdrawn.
However, a political scientist from University of Malawi, Nandin Patel, said Chilima should resign so that he stands on his new party than to accuse a government he belongs to.
“I was the first one to comment when Bingu formed his DPP out of UDF [United Democratic Front]. I said it was wrong and immoral. The same thing with JB [Joyce Banda], who formed PP [People’s Party] when she was still vice-president under the DPP administration. This should not be encouraged because we elect the Vice-President alongside the President on the same ticket. They are one and the same; hence if the Veep disagrees with his own government, he must step aside. We must not make it right simply because Bingu and Joyce Banda did the same. Two wrongs do not make a right. I know this is quiet unpopular opinion going by the moments, but I maintain it,” said Patel.
Launching UTM on Saturday in Lilongwe, Chilima accused the DPP–led government of perpetuating corruption and nepotism, and saying his movement is ready to usher in the change Malawi needs.
But DPP has dismissed Chilima’s claims, saying if there was corruption in government, Chilima would have resigned yet he has stayed on as Vice-President.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
MALAWI DOES NOT BELONG NEITHER TO PETER MUTHALIKA NOR TO DPP.WE SHOULD ALL UNDERSTAND WHY THE VP POSITION EXISTS IN OUR CONSTITUTION,IT IS NOT THERE TO SERVE THE INTEREST OF DPP BUT MALAWIANS.IMAGINE IF PETER DROPS DEAD WHILE IN OFFICE JUST LIKE LATE BINGU DID, AT THAT POINT EVERY ONE INCLUDING THE SHORTSIGHTED PATEL WILL APPRECIATE WHY THE CONSTIUTION RECOGNIZES THE POSITION OF VP.
LET DPP CRY AS LOUD AS THEY CAN, IT IS THEIR CHOICE TO LOSE OUT ON THE VP POSITION,WHTEHER CHILIMA WORKS OR NOT FOR HIS BENEFITS, IT IS DPP’S STUPID CHOICE.
Real Men fight for change while they are within the system. Narghan Huges 2016 -Lilongwe.
So SKC should not resign but fight for change for the betterment of our Nation.
You actually do not ask someone to resign for critising govt. its very strange and undemocratic.
The assertion that a Vice President should resign from his position if he disagrees with some of the policies of his party is absurd. Absurd because not every party member should be forced to dance to their party’s policies even if those policies are unpopular and do not serve the electorate well. Just because I belong to such and such political party does not mean I should condone thievery if the party engages in one. What a better way to fight such ill and evil practices within the walls of the party than from without. People who resign when they… Read more »
Chilima MUST not resign from the position that he was elected for as veep of the Government and not party. Go Go Go Chilima, our Magufuri of the day!!!!!!!
There is nothing wrong with keeping your job in the job and condemn the ruling party especially in the case of Bingu and Joyce who formed their own parties. The same applies to Chilima who is condemning DPP as crooks and immoral but still retains his government position (he now belongs to UTM and not DPP). This arrangement may be problematic but then the constitution should be amended to reflect the will of the people. Align the constitution to the South African one which will then allow a sitting president to fire his VP if he puts the party to… Read more »
Don’t worry this is just is just bravado, whether you like it or not this movement is going nowhere. Soon people will see through what it is all about.
If Chilima wants us to believe him, let him do the honourable thing of resigning.
Why doesn’t Chilima want to resign? Why is he getting a salary when he is not doing any work?
I agree with Nandin Patel, Chilima should resign. He was elected VP on DPP ticket and therefore he needs to resign as VP because he is no longer in the party. The fact that Joyce Banda and Bingu didn’t resign from their previous party does not make it right. In fact, that is why we have gone wrong in the past – we supported people with no morals. And Chilima is equally immoral.
WE DID NOT VOTE FOR CHILIMA INTO POWER TO BE TELLING US ABOUT PROBLEMS…..WE VOTED FOR HIM TOGETHER WITH MUNTHARIKA TO SOLVE PROBLEMS…. IF HONORABLE CHILIMA FEELS THAT THE RAMPANT CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST HIS CONSCIENCE AND GOOD WILL and THAT HE FEELS THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO TO STOP IT….DESPITE ALL THE POWERS MALAWIANS INVESTED IN HIM AS THE VICE PRESIDENT …HONORABLE CHILIMA SHOULD JUST RESIGN AND STOP ABUSING OR STEALING OUR TAX PAYERS MONEY BY RECEIVING SALARIES FOR THE JOD NOT DONE… PLEASE STOP STEALING OUR TAX PAYERS MONEY NOW…. YOU AND YOUR BOSS HAVE FAILED… Read more »