To our New MPs

This Monday a new cohort of parliamentarians will be taking the solemn oath to serve the people of Malawi. We thought we might take this opportunity to highlight some of the lessons from the recent elections and the fate of quite a number of parliamentarians.

 Three things came out sharply during the last election on the relationship between MPs and their voters.

The first  is that there is limit to how much people can ride on the coattails of a popular president. Malawi voters were able to distinguish between presidential and parliamentary candidates. And so we had constituencies  where the President won but DPP candidates lost. The message to the parliamentarians is that they have to create their own rapport with their constituencies and be seen to be effectively voicing the concerns of the voters to the powers that be. Simply acting as a sycophant will simply not wash.

 The second message is the need for democratization within each of the  political parties. DPP has quite correctly pointed out that the mismanaged their primaries by imposing names of candidates on constituencies. But the issue goes beyond simply the mismanagement of primary and touches at the heart of governance of our political parties.  Just as the lack democracy at primary level cost the party some seats, lack of democracy at the national level can sot the DPP the presence if the selection of the successor to Bingu is non-transparent and undemocratic. So even if benefitted from the mismanagement, you should be committed to the reforms of your political party institutions. “Chawona mzako chapita mawa chili paiwe”

 The third message is that voters place considerable emphasis on knowledge. People have understood that under our current democratic dispensation simply, sitting to occupy the  seat and shouting on acue “Aye” or "Hear Hear” as one did in Banda days is not enough. This too means that being simply the mouthpiece of the party or President won’t work. Voters expect their parliamentarians to be conversant with key issues and be able to make independent, well-informed decision on where the interests of the voters lie. 

Useful knowledge can of course be obtained from the voters themselves but this will demand that Ministrer listen instead of just haranguing the consitutuences with their speeches. This knowledge can be acquired in formal institutions but it can also be acquired  through main channels. One obvious one is  ardent reading.  In the past few of our parliamentarians  have bothered to use the parliamentary library. A second source as  seminars  but this should not be  for the sitting allowance or for making opening remarks and  then disappearing)  at is source  is  internet are important which is growing fast and is likely to me important when Malawi connects to web through fiber optic to  the Indian ocean.