PP salutes Mutharika on reforms but criticise nepotism

The former ruling Peoples Party (PP) has added its voice in commending President Peter Mutharika and his Democratic progressive Party (DPP) led government for undertaking Civil Service reforms starting with detaching certain functions from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and relocated them to their relevant line ministries

The Civil Service Reform Commission (CSRC), chaired by Vice-President Saulos Chilima, said in a statement on Saturday the President had directed restructuring of the OPC so that it reverts to its primary business of administering the public service and Cabinet affairs.

Mutharika has also ordered that Chief Executive Officers of Public institutions, Principal Secretaries and other senior public officers need to spend more time attending to their core functions and not attending events as well stopping female civil servants dancing at public and presidential events.

PP Publicity Secretary, Kenneth Msonda, said  in an interview that the reforms were “commendable”.

“The Civil Service reforms is the only commendable decision taken by the DPP administration since being elected to the high office of running government business; otherwise the hiring and firing of people in public office based on regional, tribal and political affiliations is a threat to democracy and affects development,” explained Msonda.

Msonda said through the reforms, government is bound to save the much needed resources wasted when officials attend Presidential functions not online with their duty.

“Government spends millions in funds and other useful resources when officials attend Presidential functions be in State or party function.”

PP government under the leadership of Joyce Banda came under heavy criticism of spending public resources on events that did not benefit the citizenry but Msonda was quick to argue that they laboured to improve the country.

“In the two years God gave us (PP) the grace to serve Malawians we tried the best we could to change the way we run government and political affairs in defense of our Republican Constitution, Human Rights and Freedoms.

“We hoped and thought the DPP H.E. Professor A.P. Mutharika’s administration would continue from where we (PP) left but alas; instead of moving forward it seems we are going backwards.”

Meanwhile, government has assured the nation and international cooperating partners that the reforms it has embarked on will continue in earnest and are in good faith.

It argues that the reforms are being undertaken on the back of acknowledging that the country needs to introduce efficiency and effectiveness in managing its affairs, including attending to the need of eliminating wastage and using resources prudently.

Among analyst commending DPP government included Henry Chingaipe, a governance and development expert, who said Mutharika was “normalising of the situation.”

The President appointed the CSRC soon after taking over government and its members include prominent businessperson Thom Mpinganjira, former Director of Public Procurement Bright Mangulama and lawyer and women rights’ activist Seodi White. Other members are barrister-at-law Krishna Savjan, SC, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi (Icam) chief executive officer Evelyn Mwapasa and the Reverend Howard Matiya Nkhoma, and former general secretary of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia.

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