The main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has challenged President Lazarus Chakwera to step down describing him as a failed man.
The call for Chakwera’s resignation follows sentiments by the Malaŵi Leader who recently told a National Conference on Separation of Powers in Lilongwe that despite being the country’s President, he has no absolute control and power believed by many.
“For example, in everyday discourse, one of the most common ways people describe the job of the President is “kuyendetsa boma”, which has the connotation of a driver behind the steering wheel of a car controlling the speed, direction, movement, and destination of the machine.
“The problem is that this metaphor of a driver is most inaccurate because it conveys the idea of absolute control, which is an idea from the one-party state and a stranger to the constitutional democracy we put in its place,” said Chakwera.
According to a two-page statement signed by DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, Chakwera has abdicated his duties and that Malaŵians are on their own.
The DPP says if Chakwera understood the duties placed upon his shoulders by the Constitution, he would have understood that the buck stops at his doorstep.
Reads part of statement: “Malaŵians are asking. If Chakwera is not responsible, why did he present himself for election as President? We have countless examples of bizarre things happening in this country for which nobody seems to be in control.
“East Bridge fertilizer, rampant corruption, price escalation, runaway inflation, forex scarcity, food insecurity, etc. All these require a person at the top to be concerned, to take control, and to find solutions.”
The Party adds that the president is responsible for ensuring that there is separation of Powers in the country and that each of the separate branches of state are discharging their functions in the manner expected of them.
Meanwhile, commenting on the same Chakwera’s remarks, Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has, through another statement, said the President has no clue about what it means to be a leader of Malaŵians.
“Our circumstances as a country are very unfortunate because the captain of our ship is loudly sleeping on duty to the point of not knowing his job description,” said Nankhumwa.
He accused the Malawi Leader of absconding from his duties and running away from his responsibility.
The opposition leader has since called upon Chakwera to run the government and not change his job description.
