President Lazarus Chakwera today goes back to his employers, Malawians, to report to them what he has done to transform Malawi in the first 100 days he has been in office.
Chakwera, who ascended to power on June 28 at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to present his self-assessment report in Lilongwe at 11 am during an interface with the media.
Among others, during the first 100 days, Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance-led government have presented the National Budget and made some changes in top positions in the civil service.
The 100 day report comes at a time when Malawians have very high expectations from the Malawi leader, who took over from former President Peter Mutharika.
Gender activists say Chakwera has not done enough to put more women in decision making positions such as Cabinet and boards of directors.
On its part, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) has said the only thing to write about in the first 100 days of the Tonse Alliance has been the powerful speech Chakwera made on July 6, 2020.
Cdedi Executive Director, Sylvester Namiwa, said the speech, coupled with the attractive Tonse Alliance campaign promises, inspired many well-meaning Malawians who felt that Malawi had finally found its economic independence messiah.
“The July 6 excitement has been short-lived in the sense that President Chakwera has dampened the mood of most Malawians for a better Malawi for the following reasons: His appointment into cabinet of family members, siblings, spouses and cronies.
“His hypocrisy on the fight against nepotism by appointing 45 percent of the cabinet members from his home district Lilongwe; His failure to honour his promise to enforce the Gender Equity Act, when only three women have made it as full cabinet ministers,” Namiwa said.
While the Constitution clearly states that a President is expected to serve for five years, the first 100 days have been traditionally used to predict the direction in which a country could go.
State House Press Secretary, Brian Banda, confirmed in a statement Sunday of the engagement.
While the private sector has hailed Chakwera for undertaking to provide predictability based on strong institutional foundation, other commentators have in recent weeks faulted Chakwera on his recent appointments to Cabinet and parastatal boards.
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