VOTING FOR DEVELOPMENT

Seven days to go before Malawians decide on who should lead them for the next half decade. As a Malawian, my vote, my choice is already made. After listening to all the aspiring candidates, weighing in and out the policies they are advancing, taking into consideration issues of national importance and continuity, adding in the previous performances and subtracting the things that divide us, I am sure I will cast my vote to the winning candidate.

First, I should say, I have always enjoyed sympathising with the opposition for so long in my life. These are the people who usually say, point and erect the evils of those in power. It is therefore not surprising to see that usually opposition groupings tend to attract crowds of ears and people alike. I would associate any opposition grouping to a hawk eyed association that always gives us hope of the best, an alternative from the current rulers.

Ask me if I still hold the same opinion today. I will not be quick to answer that. Notable people who managed to sway me my opposition way include Loveness Gondwe, who single headedly made revelations about Kaliati recieving kick backs on Nyika Plateau's concession. Wow! I enjoyed the drama as this affected the rather eloquent Kweni both in the house and outside. This is what the opposition need to do! I marvelled at that one.

It was all over that fertilizer coupons were now turned into weapons of mass campaign. DPP guruz were all over the country distributing coupons to 'the would be voters'. If there would be food shortage, are we not furnished with a possible cause?

That is just some of the best that came out of the opposition. Now, on the other side, the opposition was busy planning impeachment, busy advancing section 65 and worked out denying us the electricity interconnection and water bills. How on earth can a reasonable grouping tire themselves on these things. First, I would be sympathetic to the rulers today if there is no drinking water, the water bill was rejected in Parliament so what do we expect. Secondly, if we are scandalised by power blackouts, is it not because the electricity bill was rejected in parliament by the opposition.

Now I would call these people devilish. Water and energy are the basic necessities of life, denying one these amenities is tantamount to selfishness. That is where I crossed the line to being sympathetic with the current rulers. May be if these bills were passed, we could have saved lives lost through cholera, through no-working life saving machines in hospitals. I could have judged these present rulers better had they been given a chance to improve the energy and water sectors but failed. Now I want to give them another chance to see if they can improve the well being of Malawians if there is no rejection of budget.

By electing the current rulers, I am assured of continuity on developments that are just being started. Nsanje Port comes big in my mind. A good and cheap transport network is a catalyst to market oriented development. So you know whom I shall vote for..........

And there are these churches that think leaders should come from their church.....preaching/campaigning for a particular opposition presidential candidate. I think this in a wrong mix. Leave politics to politicians beside Malawi is for all to cherish and enjoy. Let us not mislead the fork.