Section 65 versus the Budget

It sounds like an old story, it seems like an old sick Joke. But our MPs, our Parliament and Political Leaders have an amazing way of displaying their selfishness. The whole Budget debate, the need to increase salaries in public sector to be higher than the proposed 21 percent, the whole debate on the need to raise the tax free threshold to at least K20,000, the debate on schools, rising cost of living and indeed debate on what really matters to Malawians has just been wiped away.

We are back to politics: Section 65.

As much as we all agree it is a constitutional provision and needs to be invoked, but for a country seeking to recover from gross self-inflicted economic crisis, every Political leader or party should have been sensitive to the challenges facing Malawians.

But the Democratic Progressive Party is just displaying the "I dont care attitude" that every political leader has always displayed since independence.

It is just very irritating to go back to the debate which saw MCP and UDF loose their majorities. They equated section 65 to the basic needs of Malawians.

I wish someone told the DPP that section 65, just as it was that time is not a priority now. Actually all countries facing a crisis that affects the people, their political leaders debate the issues affecting the people.

The passion being shown on section 65 and its disturbing effect on the budget debate should have been put towards solving the teething economic challenges every Malawian is facing.

I liked DPPs Chimango Mughogho, Frank Kasaila and a few others who have taken Government to task over cotton, roads and education. Kasaila's plea on cotton has all been wiped out as his party now thinks we should start with section 65 debate first.

As someone where Vice President Khumbo Kachali said, history is the best judge, some of us cant wait for May 2014 to tell young Malawians why voting for old people is very dangerous- they are very vengeful even if it means that it might destroy all Malawians.

Section 65 debate should wait until the budget passes, tell the DPP to hold on. They already caused enough pain, we need our tax free threshold debate louder than political numbers in parliament!