7/31/2019 African Nyasaland Partys assessment of Joyce Bandas 100 day in Office

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African Nyasaland Partys assessment of Joyce Bandas 100 day in OfficeMadam Joyce Bandas 100 days in office have been very encouraging from an international relations perspective. Malawi relations with most donors were at an all-time low by the time the late President Bingu wa Mutharika passed away on the 5th April. Madame Joyce Banda upon resuming office has mended almost all these relations for which the ANP would like to commend the President for this effort. Thisis evident in the British governments statement of its intent to send a new highcommissioner to Malawi by the end of the year 2012.The ANP is however disappointed with the Presidents performance on the followingissues: Governance Hasty dismissals and appointments of key and strategic civil servantsThe president without due process even before she had appointed the relavant Line Ministers went ahead to fire the previous Inspector General as well hire the new inspector general. Mr. Dzonzi was not a strategic appointment but a politicalappointment. No process of interviewing other candidates was followed making the process very subjective.This trend has continued with the firing of The Clerk of Parliament which has been a total embarrassment of the Malawi government. This has continued with the Head of the Anti corruption Bureau, The Chief Immigration Officer and many others. The Reserve Bank Governor and the appointment of the new one. Merging of the Attorney Generals Office and the Minster of JusticeThe other governance violation of her administration has been her decision to merge the office of the Justice Minister and that of the Attorney General. This violates the spirit of the Malawi constitution. International Best practice recomm

ends that the two arms of government the executive and the judiciary be separate. The Attorney Generals office in a country like Malawi which has no constitutional court becomes the buffer between the executive and the Judiciary. Malawi is going to face difficulties providing oversight with the oversight of rule of theconstitution and general rule of law due to lack of this separation. As it stands now Malawis three branches of the executive judiciary are now intertwined. Failure to implement Section 65 of the Malawi constitutionThe President has failed to respect and honour the Malawi constitution by not implementing 65 with regards to Members of parliament that have floor crossed to her party. By not declaring their seats vacant and not calling for by elections she has violated the rights of electorates.The economy Devaluation of the Malawi kwacha and interest rate and electricity rate hikes

The Presidents administration hastily devalued the currency drastically within ashort space of time without a proper strategy of how to deal with the external shocks this action would have on the fragile Malawi economy. Her government wenthead as well in the same period and increased interest rates dramatically as well electricity tariffs in such a short space of time. This was done when the markets are still adjusting to the other impacts of drastic steps. All these actionshave had a negative impact on the inflation which is now in double digits.The African Nyasaland Party is further concerned about the deterioration conditions and the lack of rule of law and rampant crime as well the increase in serious crimes such as murder and armed robberies.Issued by: The African Nyasaland Party ANPAuthor: Founding President Lawrence SichingaDate: 23rd July 2012