Opposition's Pitiful Progress

For the majority of Malawians who have steadily witnessed the country’s progress of politics since the significant 1994 political transition, it makes sense to disclose without any fear of contradiction that the current opposition’s muscle has been put to the most pathetic disarray ever thought of; and it makes more sense if the leader of opposition himself, Hon. Abele Kayembe, comes in the open to reveal that his side is weak.

The opposition in any political dispensation is duly taken as an alternative government endowed with the inevitable responsibility of providing checks and balances to government agenda, among others. It is a very necessary entity in any government because, by design, it is part of it. But, everywhere in the world, it is only an organised opposition that can effectively and efficiently carry out its noble duty of being an alternative government.

After giving the DPP-led government the toughest ride in the party’s political history so far, the opposition finally succumbed to mediocrity and became the unassuming force in Parliament after the last general elections. And many people voiced their concerns on the implication of the DPP’s landslide victory, more especially on the part of parliamentary representation, fearing that such a situation would not be healthy for the ‘honest’ discussing of significant bills in the august house.

But, practical progress proved otherwise: the opposition, despite being in minority, has so far participated in the discussion of bills, using their most feasible intellect, prompting some commentators to observe that the flow of politics does not necessarily depend on the number of opposition members, but the wise participation of such members. Perhaps that is why, even though the opposition proved to be a hard nut to crack in the previous Parliament, there still was vital progress in overall governance.

When Kayembe was making the vital and matter-of-fact announcement that the opposition is weak, there was no dispute – and still there is no dispute about it – but the lucid point that stands out as a sore thumb is that the weakness of the opposition is from within the opposition.

The majority of government representation in Parliament – a source of DPP’s majority – does not weaken the opposition in any practical way. In fact, it was in such a situation as the opposition is in, that its members should have tried their utmost to unite and tread on the same principles to avoid disabling their side which is already in a pitiful condition.

But now, confusion reigns supreme in the two main opposition parties, namely the MCP and the UDF. Inferring from these two parties’ miniature combination, which does not reach anywhere in number to DPP’s representation, it would be the ultimate symbol of wisdom if they came together united and aiming ahead with one principle: that of being responsible for being an admirable alternative government.
Yet, there is untold disorganization in MCP and UDF, and the ‘wise men’ in the parties have lost all conviction of retaining the lost unity which they used to hinder government’s agenda in the last Parliament.

Leadership wrangles in the two parties continue rocking minds of all of us who are concerned with how vital the opposition is in any government. In UDF, Muluzi paved way for others to take over the leadership position and there has been not unanimously-approved party leader so far. And this culminated in the fight of the two factions in the party at the airport, where they were supposed to delightedly welcome the former president back home.

In MCP, divisions began just after the party lost miserably in the last general elections; and now it no longer comes as a surprise to hear that there is confusion in the party due to leadership disagreements. This makes the opposition weaker than Kayembe might have meant – for he never tackled the fact that the opposition is weak because of disagreements and confusion within the two main opposition parties.

Honestly, we should continue anticipating the same pitiful progress for the opposition – and a worse one – if unity in MCP and the UDF is not immediately realized, because it is only when this happens that the opposition as a whole can be united. Otherwise, its noble duty of being an alternative government is miserably failing.