Building the Nation by Giving Hope to the People

Acceptance Speech

By Dr Lazarus Chakwera,

President, Malawi Congress Party Malawi Congress Party Convention 2013

11th August, 2013

The Director of Ceremonies, Former MCP President & Leader of Opposition Rt. Hon. JZU Tembo The Secretary General The Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the Convention Chairpersons of the District Committees for MCP Leaders of Political Parties here invited The clergy Members of the Diplomatic quo The Speaker of the National Assembly Invited Guests Distinguished Delegates to the Convention Members of the Press Ladies and Gentlemen Preamble It is with great pleasure, joy, and humility that I stand before you at the auspicious occasion of the Malawi Congress Party Convention. I have much joy because the mighty Malawi Congress Party has just seen a smooth and peaceful transition of power from the old to the new generation. I am humbled because all Malawians have been waiting for this day and it has indeed come.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, I would be failing in my duty if I did not recognise the achievements made by Rt. Hon. JZU Tembo to ensure that this convention takes place and becomes a success. The way MCP has conducted this convention is a true indication and sign of maturity of intra-party democracy under the leadership of Rt. Hon. JZU. Tembo. My indebtedness also goes to the entire National Executive Committee (NEC). Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; please allow me to take time to thank the Organizing Committee under the leadership of Hon. Lombola for working tirelessly for the realization of this important and very well organized convention. I would also want to thank all the contestants to the positions that were open for competition in the party. I hold them in high esteem for their sticking to democratic principles and values in this competition. All the candidates conducted their campaign in a very civilised and dignified manner from the time they announced their bid, through the electoral process and up to accepting the outcome of the election. This must be commended; because ALL of us, are a one family; the family of the mighty Malawi Congress Party. For us to be strong and to succeed to get into government as is our main goal, we need the contribution of everybody whether in an elected or non-elected capacity.

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Let us work together as a team and together, with one goal and one vision, we will build the Malawi nation. I would like, in a special way, to thank all the delegates for making this convention a success. The immediate outcome of any election, Ladies and Gentlemen can never satisfy everyone. In a democracy, some win and some lose. This, Ladies and Gentlemen, is what democracy is all about and should not divide us because we are all one family. What matters most is that the process of the election should not only be free and fair, but must be seen to be free and fair and this is what has transpired at this convention. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, this convention is historical because it has repositioned the Malawi Congress Party into a beacon of hope for the nation. Since this is a political gathering, let me start by explaining our shared vision for our mighty MCP.

Our shared vision for the Party Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; the contribution of the MCP to the politics and development of this country cannot be overemphasized. MCP, as I have said in my meetings with delegates, is a party with unique history in four dimensions. First, it is the party that fought for the freedom of this country against colonialists. It is therefore a party with a liberation ideology and hence better placed to liberate Malawi again from the agonies of poverty and underdevelopment.
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Second, MCP is the party that laid foundations of our economic and social development through huge investment in agriculture, education, health, infrastructure, cultural and youth development. Third, MCP is one of the very few nationalist parties in Africa to have survived twenty years in opposition without going into political extinction. Fourth, MCP is more entrenched than other parties in Malawi with visible structures in every corner of this country.

The current state of the MCP Ladies and Gentlemen, I can state here without fear of contradiction, that MCP is the strongest Political Party in this country. And for this, we should give credit to where it is due; and this is the able leadership of Rt. Hon. JZU Tembo - who has kept the Party intact since getting out of power in 1994. Ladies and Gentlemen, over the past years, the party has faced a myriad of challenges but it has stood the test. We should therefore all of us thank Rt. Hon. JZU Tembo, and all the MCP leadership and members for keeping the Party intact. On a personal note, I have a lot to learn from Rt. Hon. JZU. Tembo.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, if it was not for his strong and courageous leadership, this party would have disintegrated. Ladies and Gentlemen, a big round of applause to Rt. Hon. Tembo and entire MCP leadership!

Transforming MCP from Opposition to Ruling Party Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, our objective now is to transform the Malawi Congress Party from the main Opposition in Parliament to a Ruling Party by winning the Presidency and the majority of seats in Parliament. I have faith and all the confidence that this will happen and I share the same with you. Having gone through four elections, there is no doubt that many lessons have been learnt. With guidance and advice from Rt. Hon. JZU Tembo we can and must now turn the corner. Malawians want change and that change will only come with the MCPs victory in the 2014 elections. Change must come, but for genuine and meaningful change to come; MCP must win the elections in 2014. My plea to you Ladies and Gentlemen, is that we should join hands and work together for the party to win in the forth coming elections. This, I cannot do it alone; we need joint resolve and efforts. This is the faith we all should share. The obvious questions now in your mind are how shall we win the 2014 Elections? And what does the new leadership has to offer? These are
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fair questions, and in a moment, I will respond to them under eight broad titles as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Engaging with the membership and recruit new members Enhancing inclusivity Augmenting an Institutionalized Party Administrative system Practising Policy-based politics Being ever-faithful to Malawis developmental agenda Challenges and how to overcome them A look at some key sectors in brief Sharing the Vision Tackling these one by one I will start with:

1) Engaging with the membership and recruit new members: Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; we need to do more to engage party membership at all levels and to reach out to voters. MCP stands for Unity, Loyalty, Obedience and Discipline. We must endeavour to instil and mainstream these principles into the system(s) to bring sanity which is a prerequisite for national development. Ladies and Gentlemen, there are out there millions of people who love the MCP and these people are waiting to see the MCP get back to government. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, our members women and men, girls and boys - are the vital backbone of our party they

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take our message to the voters during elections, our candidates come from their ranks and they are the foundation on which the rest of the Party rests. If we fail to value and respect them, they simply will not continue to be members and without them the MCP cannot remain a strong force in Malawis political system. As we go about this process of engagement, we should not forget the youth because the future of MCP depends on how we interact and engage the youth today. As MCP we should aim to always project a good image to the youth who are the majority of the population and voters.

2) Enhancing inclusivity Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, we should jointly enhance inclusive leadership and membership so that the Partys tentacles spread and yield electoral results in all regions and districts of this country at all times. We should truly embrace important leaders from other regions and pay attention to the tribal pluralism that exists across all regions in the country because MCP is a national party and that is why we have delegates from every district. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; MCP must

strengthen its party structures to ensure intra-party democracy in making of party decisions. We must, as a Party, be willing to act as facilitators by
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helping the membership to find the best structures and models that work for them. The most visible public face of the Party is organizational structure and local leadership. The owners of the MCP are the people under the leadership of our distinguished chairmen, Womens league, and the Youth league. If as leaders we fail to empower and encourage members, we are failing to relate to voters. Again, in this day and age, in MCP we should encourage healthy debate over issues in the party structures.

3) Augmenting an Institutionalized Party Administrative system: Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, an administrative system is the hub of any political party. Again, the manner in which we manage our party affairs will reflect the way we can potentially manage government. Democracy consolidation and development can never be

meaningfully realized if the system is weak, fragmented, and characterized by policy and ideological bankruptcy. It is therefore imperative that we revitalize and refurbish the infrastructure of the MCP in all regions and districts. Ladies and Gentlemen, as MCP, we would like to emphasize the need for democratic and institutionalized party system. This is good for national politics and at the same time the development of this country. Our development problem
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as a nation is rooted in the kind of politics we practice and we need to change this. This is why we are calling for more institutionalized and accountable political party.

4) Practising Policy based politics: Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, now I turn to the issues of party policies. Policies of the government are affected by the policies of the parties that comprise them. This is the essence of the theory of representative democracy; and as such that if one does not relate to the other, then it is unclear how elections can have much impact on what governments do. Policy priorities of governments in modern democracies should reflect the formal programs presented by competing parties during elections and it is the congruence between promise and performance that lies at the heart of democracy. Electing politicians or parties that have no clear policy agenda is in a way electing a government that has totally no agenda. We should not expect a miracle of harvesting a mango fruit from an orange tree. Government is about Public Policy and Governments are run by Political Parties as informed by their policies. MCP should therefore

endeavour to provide policy alternatives that are generated through resolutions that originate from Party members at the grassroots. Since the

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MCP is the only party with institutionalized membership to the grass-roots this is easily achievable. 5) Being ever-faithful to Malawis development agenda Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me now turn my focus to national development. How do Malawians envisage their future? What kind of society do they want to become? How can they construct a united and inclusive Malawians identity? What are the transformations needed to emerge from a totally unacceptable social and economic situation? These are the main questions that we should address. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, our nation is facing challenges such as food shortages and perpetual hunger, poor economic outlook, tribalism and challenges to national unity, endemic corruption and poor adherence to rule of law, and poor service delivery by responsible duty bearers. These are the issues our party should deal with. Distinguished delegates, there is no doubt that good party politics and policies lead to good governance and perfect management of State and government affairs. I want to say it here in the open, that only when we have reorganized and strengthened the MCP; shall we will unleash its full potential. Turning to Malawians in general, I have one plea: fellow Malawians, we should unlearn politics anchored on strong personalities, or regionalism, or tribalism, or clientelism.
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We should do away with politics of patronage because this is what has and continues to plague our society and harms our people. Political success or survival; public appointments and career progression; securing contracts or jobs should no longer depend on ones ability and craftiness in manipulating or in the pursuit of clientelism and patronage. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to say that only MCP holds the key to liberating Malawi of politics of patronage; and only MCP has the capacity to offer a new vision for Malawi; if we can jointly agree to cherish and build on foundation laid down by the founding fathers and mothers of our nation at independence. Before us is a challenge and a chance to open a new chapter and era in Malawis politics. Malawis problem is politics. Rather than building our nation around personalities; we ought to direct our energies into building and strengthening institutions through which we can deliver development. And, if we can convince Malawians that MCP can do good politics then we shall have given them hope for progress in development, and many reasons to vote for MCP. Distinguished delegates, sustainable development requires

collaboration between all sections of society and effective leadership by government. In a society with deep social and economic divisions, neither social nor economic transformation is possible without a capable, viable
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and functioning state. Malawi needs a state that can provide the enabling institutions and infrastructure for the economy to grow and society to thrive. Currently, there is urgent need for critical interventions to build a state capable of realizing national development; otherwise the whole talk of development is fallacious. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, enough is enough; as a nation we need to wake up; this country is the only one we have and we need to adopt politics of development. In this regard, if elected into

government in 2014, I would want to see an MCP government: Building a state capable of playing a developmental and transformative role through reconstruction of the nation and its social capital anchored on good governance, underpinned by a capable state. Immersing the public service in the development agenda free from undue political interference. Ensuring that the civil service at all levels has the authority, capacity, experience and support required to deliver; which will require comprehensive human resources development, encompassing

education, health, and ICT skills aimed at public sector, private sector and civil society. This will require a long-term approach.

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 Improving relations between national and local government via a proactive and inclusive approach to address coordination problems. Simplifying the governance structure for state-owned enterprises (SOEs)/Parastals to ensure clear lines of accountability and professional management and leadership. Transforming agriculture into a productive, high value, market oriented sector, with forward linkages to other sectors. Facilitating the development of a globally competitive private sector spearheaded by competitiveness and entrepreneurship. Undertaking comprehensive infrastructural development.

6) Challenges and Opportunities First, the main challenge to implementing the above will be the unevenness in capacity that leads to poor service delivery by government. This is caused by complex factors, including tensions in the politicaladministrative interface, instability of the administrative leadership, skill deficits, the erosion of accountability and authority, poor organizational design and low staff morale. This unevenness in capacity affects, sadly, has infected all the elements of the public service. At senior levels, reporting and recruitment structures entertain political interference in selecting and managing senior staff. The result is unnecessary turbulence in senior posts, which
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undermines morale of public servants leading to citizens loss of confidence in the government. At junior levels, there has been insufficient focus on providing stimulating career paths that encourage and challenge civil servants to pursue excellence in service delivery. I am happy to say that the MCP has a clear vision as to where the next generation of public servants will come from and how specialist professional skills will be sustained. Having identified the root problem as weak managerial capacity and lack of leadership, the MCP is poised to redress these issues. Second, Ladies and Gentlemen, is that short term planning has failed. The onset of plural politics in Malawi saw a marked departure from long term planning to a multitude of unsustainable, individual, and populist presidential initiatives, and a worrisome tendency to jump from one quick fix or policy fad to the next. This lackadaisical approach has created instability in organizational structures resulting in creation of approaches that further strain limited capacity due to duplicated efforts. This quest and appetite for populist quick fixes diverts attention from the more fundamental priorities towards nation building and sustainable development. Development planning should never be restricted to ones term of political office. This is where things went wrong 1994 onwards.
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We need to look into the future of our grandchildren. We need long term planning. The MCP government shall address this by putting in place mechanism to eliminate state capture by various groups and inculcate a culture of efficiency, long term strategic planning and excellence of execution which are characteristics of countries that have attained meaningful development.

Third, Malawi continues to struggle to achieve constructive relations between the local and central government. A lack of clarity about the division of responsibilities together with lack of political will to manage this has created tension and instability across these spheres of government. There is no consensus on how this is going to be resolved and there is a lack of leadership in finding appropriate solutions. While these coordination problems are not unique to Malawi, what leaves a lot to be desired is how the governments that took over from 1994 have failed to resolve with this. In MCP we realize that holding elections for local councillors in 2014 is not an end in itself. This must be coupled with the political will to devolve power from the Centre. Only the MCP has the experience in running a local government system without being coerced by external forces. Local government structures were the norm during the days of the
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MCP and I dare say that even using the existing legal framework, as MCP we shall fully implement the overdue decentralization.

Sectoral Frameworks Salient Issue Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I will now turn to what we have in store in the various sectors. MCPs development policies, as you are all aware, were rooted in agricultural development. Right now, I dont want to take much of your time by detailing the entire policy framework that the MCP envisages for the nation suffice to say that with regard to agriculture no government has surpassed what MCP was achieving year after year save for a year of draught. We intend, this time around, to do even better. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, we shall discuss and communicate with each other in the Party on the finer details of the MCPs policy framework for the country touching on economy, education, health, foreign policy, entrepreneurship and job creation, research, science and technology, and taxation policy. MCP policy framework shall be forward-looking in all aspects taking into consideration that we are living in a competitive globalised world. Suffice to say as a leader of the Malawi Congress Party, I promise to provide the best leadership possible regarding overall sectoral policy framework overhaul, starting with agriculture and the economy.
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Agriculture Development Ladies and Gentlemen, Malawi is a small, largely rural country, with up to three-quarters of the population living below $1.25 dollars a day. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) capita is $310, one of the lowest in the world. Poverty in Malawi is intensive in rural areas where 85% of the population live. Over 90% of the poor are small or medium scale farmers in rural areas, mainly reliant on rain-fed production, on small plots of land (less than a hectare) for their food, well-being and income. Women make up 70% of the agricultural labour force. Our mothers, sisters and daughters are mainly in the informal (nonwage) sectors which are often worst hit by disasters and other shocks. This is also true for child headed households and elderly people. Droughts, floods and variable rainfall result in reduced crop production the main sources of food and income for the poor in Malawi. Ladies and Gentlemen, Why does the MCP believe that agriculture should remain the mainstay of the economy for the foreseeable future? Agriculture accounts for about 37% of GDP, and tobacco alone account for more than 65% of export earnings. Agriculture employs 85% of the countrys workforce. More than 70% of the agriculture labour is provided by women.
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The MCP recognizes that poverty in Malawi is focused in rural areas where 85% of our people live. As such, prioritizing agriculture is only sure way for the Malawi to achieve inclusive growth, attain food security and reduce poverty. Therefore, the MCP endeavours to implement the following medium to long-term strategies to achieve increased agricultural productivity and food security: Agricultural Commercialization Ladies and Gentlemen, given the heavy reliance of the economy on agriculture, there is need for an aggressive strategy to promote agricultural exports (both traditional and non-traditional) to broaden sources of foreign exchange which is critical to support the current macro-economic policy framework. MCP believes that we ought to emphasize on becoming a net exporter in the short to medium-term as a sustainable and dignified way of restoring our macro-economic stability because relying on donor inflows has many disadvantages. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, the MCP recognizes that what Malawi needs to do in the medium and long term is to put measures that enable us to raise the export potential of our agricultural

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commodities as this has been a long outstanding structural challenge that we need to address. Consequently, distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen MCP believes that as a nation, we should create a more productive, internationally competitive and diversified agricultural sector. This implies attending to our supply-side constraints in the sector with a swift, radical and a coordinated action at different levels by different actors in the Malawian agricultural value chain. Farmer organization system Farmers mobilization for collective production and marketing especially with focus on establishment of farmer marketing cooperatives through clubs with an agribusiness focus. MCP has a track record of engaging farmers into clubs as economic units for agricultural production and to access financing. Organizing farmers into functioning cooperatives with strong governance structures will strengthen smallholder farmers voice to negotiate for better prices, reduce transactions costs, and attain economies of scale. Contract Farming Ladies and Gentlemen, MCPs other priority will be to move rapidly towards establishment of a well-regulated contract farming (CF)

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arrangement and cooperatives that shall be supported by strong legal framework to set clear ground rules and promote fairness. Access to financing through credit system that is linked to structured marketing system. Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are also mindful of the bottleneck in access of financial services. MCP will put more emphasis in providing agriculture inputs through farmers clubs to support the smallholder farmers. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; the MCP will also prioritize revamping estate farming to boost agricultural

commercialization for exports. Malawians should remember that Malawi in the MCP era was able to produce enough, exported to Europe and other countries because we were able to produce the volumes and quality through engagement of estate sector. Estate farming has to be given adequate attention as this is the only way to produce enough for the development of Malawi. Our government will spell out a clear policy framework that would provide an incentive for farmers and other agricultural value chain players to invest in the sector and promote agro-processing and value-addition rather than production of primary commodities. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; this is why we need to prioritize formation of land bank managed by people that are experts in
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this business, the private sector. What we MCP are proposing is not politics, it about finding a lasting solution to transform and change the destiny of this nation; this bank shall be run by experts and will be free from politics. This is a promise to this nation. Irrigation Ladies and Gentlemen, The MCP will prioritise irrigation (supported by technology transfer systems and mechanisation) as well to ensure increased agricultural productivity and to cushion the country from climate change related shocks, especially droughts. Small-scale and large scale irrigation technologies will be promoted mainly targeting high value crops. In addition to Government efforts, we will seek support from our development partners to prioritise irrigation, especially the infrastructure. Irrigation will help us lengthen period of production in a single year and help us produce more than a single crop to maximise our agricultural output. Functional marketing system: structured and intended to build confidence of the value chain to all players in the chain. Distinguished delegates, ladies, and gentlemen these system were introduced and were fully functional in the Malawi Congress Party era but have been eroded over the period. MCP will make sure that these systems are back on track under my leadership. Malawi Congress Party will focus
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on increasing investments towards commercialization of agriculture to create a robust foundation of our economy which still hinges on agriculture. National Authentic Identification Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; the MCP believes this country needed a National Authentic Identification System to be in place as of yesterday. Contractors in the Contract Farming and commercial banks need confidence that they will be able to easily trace their borrowers of money or inputs. Also, as country we need to easily identify our bona fide citizens for accurate targeting when implementing national

programmes. This programme might require a lot of money to roll-out. But it is an important programme that we can no longer postpone because success of many other plans hinge on this national ID system. Health and Population Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, Malawis health sector faces a number of challenges. The MCP shall work with partners for the improvement in health related goals. Improving health requires a multifaceted or integrated approach with a combination of preventive, educational and clinical measures. By bringing these together, the costs of interventions can be minimized and their effectiveness maximized. The MCP shall manage the integration by:
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 Increasing the retention of qualified health workers through a targeted program for health care workers; Improving working environment for health personnel; Increasing the availability and eliminating theft of drug supply; Improving health facilities through targeted facilities infrastructure (roads, water, health buildings, water, communication and medical equipment); Improving equipment at health care facilities, especially maternity services; Improving financial management, monitoring and supervision of health care facilities; and Providing comprehensive health services package that include treatment of diseases and infections, awareness programmes and education through Government and private hospitals. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, the MCP recognizes that there is a strong linkage between issues of population and health as such efforts from these two fronts complement each other. However, there are other elements of population that cannot be conclusively addressed by efforts in the health sector alone because of its broad nature. We shall endeavour to provide accessible, affordable and comprehensive

reproductive health services through informed choices in order to enable Malawians to attain their reproductive health rights and goals Education Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no doubt that our education system is run down and requires immediate attention if we are to be serious about investing into the future generation. If our
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country is to achieve the twin MDG targets of universal primary education and gender parity in school enrolments, a step change in strategy is required. We cannot continue with business as usual. Current enrolment growth projections, patterns of repetition, plans for school construction and increased teacher supply will enable improvements but more immediate and more drastic action is urgently required. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, our public schools have to be upgraded in order to become competitive and attractive to all people in our society. Only this way will we be able to provide equal opportunity to our children irrespective of their class in society. Current poor standards in our public schools are dividing our society and only patronised by the poor who cannot afford private schools. The lower grades of our primary schools have one of the lowest numeracy and literacy rates in the region.

Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, we will also aggressively invest in the vocational training to absorb and give necessary skills to our youths after finishing their secondary education. I believe this is the core that will drive this economy. First, we will need to rehabilitate, refurbish and equip our existing technical colleges, TEVET, with all necessary learning materials. This is an important area that we will need to

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partner with our development partners as it will require huge investment to build the necessary infrastructure and other learning materials. Foreign Policy Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, International politics has both positive and negative effects. It can determine the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, the bread we eat, and the quality of imports we get etc. Malawi's foreign policy shall be centred on maintaining cordial relations with its neighbours and its Western trading partners. Malawi's fundamental principles of foreign policy have been fairly consistent since they were first espoused shortly after independence in 1964. Yet the specific interests, priorities and emphasis of Malawi's foreign policy have continued to change and evolve in the context of the domestic and international environment. The MCPs foreign policy shall be anchored on the promotion and protection of the national interest; the promotion of African integration and support for African unity; the promotion of international co-operation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestations; respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication; and; the promotion of a just world economic order.

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Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; to achieve these objectives, the MCP administration shall identify, as main priorities the maintenance of unity, peace and security of the country, particularly in the wake of current security challenges; job and wealth creation for Malawians; the promotion of trade and investments; promoting the welfare of Malawians both at home and abroad by protecting their interests. Our foreign policy shall also aim at others are improving the profile and image of Malawi abroad; enhancing Malawi's representation and visibility in international organizations. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; Malawi's foreign policy will continue to be dictated by the political and economic programme at home. I should mention that we should graduate from pursuing foreign policy whose agenda is to entice developing partners for continued flow of donations. Ladies and Gentlemen, that kind of policy objective is subsistence and should not be abandoned. Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like also to mention that our Defence policy shall form part of the foreign policy. In the wake of current international terrorism; and various peace keeping missions, it is important that defence forms a greater part of our foreign policy and the MCP will do just that.

The energy sector

Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, the energy sector in Malawi involves much more than just electricity and automotive fuels, though. MCP is aware that our hydropower potential is under-exploited and as a party we recognize that exploitation of this source needs to be maximised. Most of our coal reserves are currently exploited only on an informal basis. We need to explore possibilities in coal as well. Energy is highlighted as one of the major constraint to growth in Malawi. For the time being, we should seriously explore all possibilities that will help solve our energy problems to unlock and spur economic growth. Going it alone on large generation investments has limitation on accessing public funding. Therefore, I will promote efforts to access private financing. Mining sector Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; mining is one of the priority sectors that is needed to achieve economic growth in Malawi. Mining has potential to overtake agricultures contribution to the economy within the next ten years Speculation of vast mineral resources including possibility of oil reserves in Lake Malawi. Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; optimism about the mining potential should be tempered by concerns over the countrys ability to reap the full benefits from these resources. To attract responsible, long-term investors and deliver jobs and growth, Malawi must have strong, transparent, and accountable institutions which can regulate the extractive
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industry. The common Malawian should benefit from these investments. We need to invest in strong legislations and mineral policies that promote transparency and that no individual person (s) benefit from these God given resources to the Malawi nation at the expense of our people no matter what their positions are in society as we have observed in recent past. Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; minerals, just like any other resource endowment in this country, do not only belong to the current generation, but also to the future generations as well. Government is just a custodian entrusted to manage these resources on behalf of the people of Malawi. However, since weve not asked permission from the future generation to exploit these resources on their behalf, we therefore have an obligation to prudently use and maximise our current welfare without sacrificing the future wellbeing of the generations to come. Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, transparency and

accountability in the licensing, exploration, contracting, extraction, revenue generation, and allocation of resources from the extractive sector lies at the heart of natural resource governance. The Malawi Congress Party will not allow to be cursed by its resources. Concluding remarks

29 | P a g e Acceptance Speech by Dr Lazarus Chakwera upon his election as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me explain that MCP is not getting into the 2014 election race thinking it will be easy. We fully appreciate the challenges ahead and no one should underrate us. I therefore want to remind you all that this is just the beginning of the journey and we need to work hard because Malawi Congress Party is the only party capable of meeting our peoples aspirations. But to do this, first, we need to form the next government in 2014 after winning the coming general election. Come rain, come sunshine MCP victory is a must! Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to conclude by encouraging you to take part and remind people in your respective political districts to go and register in numbers for the forth coming elections. We also need to identify councillors in the respective wards where we come from so that we field candidates as a party in all our wards and constituencies. Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen; please join me in thanking Rt. Hon. Tembo for his courageous and wise leadership which has seen our generation being handed over a party which is solid and vibrant. Once again, my many thanks organizing committee and its leadership for making this convention a success.
30 | P a g e Acceptance Speech by Dr Lazarus Chakwera upon his election as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President

With these remarks,

distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for your kind attention.

God Bless You, God Bless our Nation-Malawi.

31 | P a g e Acceptance Speech by Dr Lazarus Chakwera upon his election as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President