With Malawi reeling from corruption, poor governance, and lost public trust, Peter Dimba’s candidacy for Speaker of Parliament symbolizes everything wrong with the current political order.

By Burnett Munthali

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has reached a point where its moral authority to lead is in question.

Years of poor governance, corruption, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law have stripped the party of the trust and goodwill it once enjoyed from Malawians.

At the center of this decline stands the party’s decision to front Peter Dimba for the position of Speaker of Parliament — a move that perfectly captures MCP’s tone-deafness to public sentiment.

Dimba’s candidacy does not represent reform, integrity, or renewal.

Instead, it reflects a desperate attempt by a crumbling administration to tighten its grip on the very institution meant to keep it in check.

The position of Speaker is one of immense national importance, requiring impartiality, dignity, and a deep sense of justice.

Dimba, however, has shown none of these qualities in his political career.

As a senior figure within the MCP, he has often acted more like a political enforcer than a guardian of parliamentary independence.

He has repeatedly defended questionable government actions, protected party interests, and silenced legitimate criticism from opposition members and civil society.

His record on accountability is dismal — marked by selective oversight, partisan bias, and an unwillingness to challenge executive abuse.

Allowing Peter Dimba to become Speaker would mean handing Parliament — the people’s house — to the same political forces that have undermined governance and institutional integrity in Malawi.

The MCP government’s failures are well-documented.

From corruption scandals and misuse of public funds to the collapse of key social services, the party has presided over a period of unprecedented national frustration.

Public confidence in leadership has been eroded, not by external forces, but by the arrogance and self-interest of those entrusted with power.

Peter Dimba’s rise to the Speakership would only deepen that disillusionment.

It would signal that loyalty to a failing regime is valued more than competence, fairness, or moral courage.

Malawi cannot afford a Speaker who serves the party first and the people last.

The role demands a leader who can rise above politics — someone who respects all voices, enforces parliamentary order, and upholds the constitution without fear or favor.

Dimba’s track record suggests the opposite.

His close ties to the MCP leadership make it impossible to imagine him presiding over Parliament without bias or interference.

If elected, Dimba would not unify Parliament; he would divide it further, turning every debate into a partisan battlefield.

This is not the leadership that Malawi’s fragile democracy needs at this critical hour.

Members of Parliament must remember that the Speakership is not a reward for loyalty — it is a sacred trust.

Voting for Peter Dimba would be a betrayal of that trust and a clear sign that lessons from the past five years of failure have not been learned.

Malawi deserves a Speaker who will restore confidence in Parliament, not one who will drag it deeper into the shadows of partisanship and corruption.

Peter Dimba is not that leader — and his candidacy is an insult to the principles of accountability, justice, and service that Parliament was meant to uphold.

The Maravi Post