Lazarus Chakwera under fire
Leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera has come under fire for his response to the State of the Nation Address President Peter Mutharika delivered in Parliament last week.
Political commentators yesterday said Chakwera’s recent criticisms clearly show that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is still nursing the wounds of its defeat in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections and that instead of acting objectively, Chakwera is using loopholes in government as an opportunity to build his own reputation.
Chancellor College political analyst Mustapha Hussein said in an interview on Monday that there is need to school Chakwera on the role of the leader of opposition.
“The opposition is there to scrutinise government’s policies and other development agendas and they should also be able to give credit where it is due. The opposition should not always look for the negatives in whatever government is doing,” said Hussein, adding that Chakwera, being a novice as leader of opposition, needs to seek guidance from other experienced people.
Hussein said it is obvious that the MCP still believes that they were robbed of victory during the 2014 Tripartite Elections.
Another political analyst at the Chancellor College, Happy Kayuni, said Chakwera’s criticisms are usually bent on building his own reputation.
“Chakwera is doing a good job by raising issues because the opposition has been silent for a long time. However, the MCP leader might be doing that to show that he is taking government to task while trying to build his own reputation,” said Kayuni.
But MCP Administrative Secretary Potipher Chidaya said Chakwera does not oppose everything.
“He is always constructive and what people are saying is not true. They do not wish our party well. We are a government in waiting and we always offer alternatives. Those who are blaming our leader are government sympathisers,” he said.
He said if Chakwera criticised everything bills would not pass in Parliament.
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