Opposition Democratic Progress Party (DPP) has described president Lazarus Chakwera’s State of National Address (SONA) delivered in Parliament last Friday, as lacking policy direction.

On Friday, September 4, the state president delivered his SONA marking the opening of the first meeting of the 49th session of Parliament and the 2020/2021 National Budget meeting in Lilongwe.

But on Monday, September 7, in his response to the President’s address, leader of opposition in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, said the SONA does not give a true picture of state of affairs in the country.

Nankhumwa said: “Any SONA needs to give policy direction but the president has missed the opportunity considering that it was his first SONA and expectations were very high but he presented it in a more cosmetic way and now Malawians are wondering whether this government is going to deliver its promises.”

Nankhumwa added that there is need for the President to come up with proper policies and clear direction on how he is going to run the government from now up to 2024.

He said on June 23, Malawians voted Tonse Alliance because of their campaign promises but three months down the line they are yet to be implemented.

“They promised universal fertilizer subsidy, 1 million jobs, free water and electricity connections and reduced passport fees at K14, 000 among others, but all these are nowhere to be seen,” he queried.

Nankhumwa further said the new government has failed to end issues of tribalism saying the firing and redeployment of some government officials on perceived political grounds are developments that have happened contrary to the Tonse Alliance promises.

The opposition leader has also blamed government for propagating politically motivated arrests.

Members of parliament are expected to continue commenting on the president’s speech.