By Kondanani Chilimunthaka
His Excellence, the State President, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has commended all the stakeholders in the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election for ensuring that it was conducted peacefully and in credible manner, saying that without them the election would not have been peaceful.
President Chakwera was speaking while responding to the question posed to him by the Parliamentarian for Zomba Lisanjala who wanted to know What is the plan for the government to ensure that 2025 General Elections will not be marred with violence as has been the case in some parts of the country in previous elections? Chakwera in his response assured the parliamentarian and all Malawians that his administration is so committed to extend the peace and success of the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election to future elections by empowering the stakeholder institutions to deliver on their respective mandates.
Further, president Chakwera told the August House that knowing how the incidences of violence were occasioned during some by-elections elections, his administration will be taking a comprehensive approach that ensures peaceful elections.
Responding to Nkhotakota North-East on When should Malawians expect the commencement of duty-free week and reduction of passport fees which was promised to be at K14,000 each passport?,
President Chakwera hinted that his administration is consulting on how it can best implement some unique promises made by MCP and UTM in 2019 before the two came into an alliance towards the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election.
President Chakwera added that few common promises were put on the priority list among the priorities to make sure Malawians start to see the desirable change as soon as possible after elections on June 23,2020, like the Fertlizer Subsidy program known as AIP.
Among others, MCP promised Universal Fertilizer Subsidy Program, Performance Contracts to all ministers, increasing the minimum wage to K50,000, raising the tax-free threshold of Pay As You Earn tax from the then K35,000 to the current K100,000 and assurance that the president will be appearing before Parliament to enswer the questions while on the other hand UTM promised Universal Fertilizer Subsidy Program, establishing a duty-free week, reducing cost of passports and removing electricity connection fees before the two parties came into an alectoral partnership towards Fresh Presidential polls alongside other alliance parties.
Today’s appearance before Parliament to answer questions was the third since Chakwera won election on June 23,2020.
