President Lazarus Chakwera has called upon the three arms of government to be accountable to Malawians when carrying out their duties.
He was speaking on Tuesday in Lilongwe when he closed a two-day conference on Separation of Powers.
The conference was attended by participants from the three arms of government of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.
He said: “During the opening session of this conference yesterday, I spoke about the parts of government that I, as president, do not control; the parts where I direct the traffic but dont drive the institutions.
“In my mind, this applies to the judiciary where I appoint judges but have no control on what they do with the courts, and the legislature where I submit my administration proposed policies, budgets and bills but have no control over how parliamentarians vote.”
The President said he also appoints heads and boards of governance institutions who are empowered by the constitution to function without his interference.
“And my challenge to Malawians and all is that we should rigorously demand accountability and coordination from all those who hold positions in these independent arms of government,” he said.
He advised holders of offices in institutions which have constitutional powers to remember that the powers they hold are to the service of Malawians and as such they must use such power with wisdom and courage.
Chief Justice, Rezine Mzikamanda said Malawi needs strong institutions in order to achieve the agenda it has set itself for.
He, therefore, said the conference had given the three arms of government an opportunity to discover areas where they have succeeded and fallen short to achieve the doctrine of separation of powers.
Speaker of the National Assembly, Catherine Gotani Hara said the conference had offered a critical food for thought as to what the doctrine of separation of powers is all about.
She said the legislature is committed to continuing engaging with all arms of government and other stakeholders to ensure that it exercises its role according to the constitution.
The conference was being held under the theme: Separation of Powers: a Development Catalyst or Hindrance?
By Stanley Nkhondoyakata
