Governance and political commentators have hailed President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for ensuring that there is separation between government and party business.
The commentators say this has helped in taming the wanton abuse of public resources by officials in ruling parties, as it was the case during the previous administrations.
During the previous regimes of United Democratic Front (UDF) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), senior party officials had powers to direct Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of government entities to release money for personal or party use.
This is no longer the case following a declaration by President Chakwera that there should be separation government business from party activities.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Monday, governance analyst Dr. George Chaima described the Chakwera-led administration as the most democratic government.
“This is the most democratic government. Democracy is really taking good shape and you can see that the separation of powers between the party and the government is still there. In other democracies, this is very difficult to completely isolate because, in a democratic dispensation, the ruling party becomes the government of the day.
“So, if you can look at the composition of the alliance, Malawi Congress Party is the strongest a party, so far, and if you go back also to elections time, on the flag of my Congress Party, the President that were featured. So, we can say that the ruling party always has the power to be part of the government because it is the government itself, or I say the party that is up. But nonetheless, we have seen it. Not so much in invasion of politics from MCP officials in government business,” he said.
Chaima reminded Malawians that during the UDF and DPP governments, most government entities used to struggle financially because party officials defrauded them.
He commended President Chakwera for sticking to what he termed “principles of government administration, while at the same time running his paraphilia outside the government”.
“And this is why I think the disintegration of the alliance has come about. I feel like members of the political parties within the alliance expected that when the alliance forms government, then there’ll be a shared cake from all members of the parties. But what Chakwera chose is to still separate the powers of the party from getting involved in the government. This is very commendable and it has helped in saving resources from abuse by party officials,” narrated Chaima.
On his part, political commentator Benedicto Kondowe stated that, under President Chakwera’s leadership, Malawi has witnessed a crucial measure in safeguarding public resources through the strict separation of government affairs from party activities.
Kondowe said the distinction has significantly curbed the misuse of public funds for partisan interests, leading to notable savings in government resources.
“By ensuring that government resources are allocated and utilized solely for the benefit of the public, without being diverted towards party-related expenditures, the administration has effectively prevented wasteful spending and financial mismanagement. This disciplined approach has not only enhanced transparency and accountability in governance but has also resulted in tangible savings that can be redirected towards priority areas such as infrastructure development, social welfare programs, and essential services. As a result, the separation of government from party business has played a crucial role in safeguarding public resources, ensuring their efficient utilization for the betterment of Malawians and the nation as a whole,” he said.
