A year after President Peter Mutharika's return to power, his administration's commitment to good governance and fulfilling Malawians' aspirations is under scrutiny. However, the opposition seems to be lacking or barely audible. Governance expert Clemence Alfazema has expressed concerns that the opposition has not been effective in holding the government accountable for its actions. This has allowed the government to operate with relative freedom.
According to Alfazema, the opposition has failed to keep issues that matter to ordinary Malawians at the center of the national agenda. Instead, most opposition parties focus on constituency-specific agendas rather than a national agenda. This has resulted in the opposition only reacting to events rather than proactively addressing the needs of Malawians. The opposition's inability to prioritize national issues has weakened its role in governance.
Alfazema also noted that the opposition has not presented practical alternatives to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) policies. In a functioning democracy, opposition parties are expected to offer distinct policy alternatives and explain how they would implement them. However, Malawi's opposition parties have failed to do so, with most focusing on short-term policies such as farm input subsidies and constituency development funds.
The main opposition party, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has been criticized for its own internal infighting and failure to present a cohesive alternative to the DPP's policies. Despite having a strong agricultural production policy in its 2019 manifesto, the MCP has adopted similar patrimonial practices to the DPP. Smaller parties like the United Transformation Movement (UTM) have also struggled to present a distinct identity and policy agenda.
Alfazema cited recent events in the DPP where the Speaker of the National Assembly proposed inquiries into suspected mismanagement of several sectors. He argued that the opposition should have rallied behind the Speaker and flexed their muscles to hold the government accountable. However, such actions were barely audible, highlighting the opposition's weakness.
The opposition bloc has also failed to work together effectively to influence government decisions and provide a stronger parliamentary check on the Executive. While there have been sporadic efforts through parliamentary committees, the opposition's overall performance has been weak. MCP's internal infighting and UTM's identity crisis have contributed to the opposition's ineffectiveness.
To become more effective, Alfazema suggested that the opposition needs to change its approach over the next four years. They should prioritize the needs of ordinary Malawians, revisit their poor performance in previous elections, and strategize to revive grassroots support. By doing so, the opposition can present itself as a credible alternative to the DPP and hold the government accountable for its actions.
Key points
- The opposition has been ineffective in holding the government to account.
- The opposition has failed to present practical alternatives to the DPP's policies.
- The opposition needs to change its approach to become more effective in governance.
