PAC’s History on Public Dialogue and Consultations
Malawi lacks debate on contentious issues. PAC’s interventions therefore aims at enhancing public dialogue in order to develop a shared minimum agenda on contested issues. Previously, public dialogue was being enhanced through what was known as “Roundtable Conferences” on Electoral, Political and Economic issues – an idea that UNDP-Malawi bought and supported PAC in 1995. Since then PAC held such public dialogue meetings to allow stakeholders discuss contentious issues under one roof. In 2012 PAC rebranded the Conferences as “ All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conferences” with three main objectives – to hold authorities and ourselves accountable; to generate issues for advocacy and lobbying; and popularizing ideas on contentious issues such as third term constitutional bid of 2001 and calls for federalism. Since then PAC has generated various recommendations and resolutions. Most notable ones are those documented in 2016 which led to PAC-Government Technical Team dialogue exercise. As a result of the latter, an agreement was secured to reform the electoral law in particular to bring to bear 50%+1 electoral law but also change the Local Government Act.
This component entails enhancing public dialogue in order to develop a shared minimum agenda on contested issues for advocacy and lobbying. So far the following have been carried out:
- First All-Inclusive Stakeholder Conference , Limbe Cathedral March, 2012
- Second All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference , Mount Soche, October, 2012
- Third All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference, Mount Soche, February, 2014
- National Stakeholders Forum on Inclusivity and Federalism, November, 2014
- Fourth All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference, January 2015
- Regional Fora on Inclusivity and Federalism , 15-24 June, 2015
- Firth All-Inclusive Stakeholder Conference
- 5+1 All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference
Selected Key Interventions
Securing a shared minimum agenda on contentious issues has been at the heart of PAC’’s policy influence. Since 1992, PAC undertakes different forms of dialogue engagements. One of the forms of dialogue mechanism is public dialogue in form of holding All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference. Previously these were referred to as “Roundtable Conferences”. Enhancing Public Dialogue/ Consultation has been one of the interventions that has characterised PAC as a last resort to provide free space for expression on economic and political challenges in Malawi. Noting that Malawi lacks debate on contentious issues, PAC impressed upon itself to take responsibility to provide safe space for public dialogue by way of conference consultations. Since 1995, at least four Roundtables Conferences, and from 2012 six public consultations popularly dubbed “All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference” aimed at holding leaders accountable, generating issues for government’s consideration and letting stakeholders ventilate their anger – thereby prevent violent conflict among groups divided on contentious issue have been held under the banner of PAC. Noting its gravitas, at times Government has publicly requested PAC to facilitate conversations and debate on a particular contentious issue as was in the matter of federalism debate in Malawi in 2014. As such, various positive strides have been realized out of these public fora. The High-Level Development Council ( HLDC) established under leadership of former President Joyce Banda made reference to PAC resolutions of conferences held in March and October, 2012 as a response to the demands for establishing a permanent planning commission in Malawi.
Contentious issues deliberated on from PAC All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conferences have been a stepping stone for most stakeholders to appreciate issues, recommendations and specific resolutions submitted to the Head of State after the events. The organisation has achieved a certain level of gravitas – having the power of convening stakeholders at all levels. PAC maintained national dialogue with Government Technical Team through which resolutions were adopted for implementation. In 2017 government attributed implementation of PAC resolutions such as – eenactment of the; Access to Information Act; Greenbelt Initiative Act and creation of the Greenbelt Authority; National Planning Commission Act, and establishment of the National Planning Commission – to PAC’s initiatives. Such positive strides were officially attributed by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Further, based on petitions to the Head of State and Speaker of Parliament, Government’s tabling of electoral reforms bill, and lobbying Parliament Business Committee to prioritize the bills – have been registered as a success of PAC’s intervention , despite the advocacy strategy of holding peaceful marches was postponed. Assertions by Daily Papers such as Nation and Daily Times (2017) that “PAC gets thumbs up but analyst warn new bill details pose fresh threat” and that “Government bows down to pressure – promises to table 2 bills, 4 later” (The Nation, 13 December, 2017 and The Daily Times, 6 December, 2017) demonstrated appreciation despite frustrations from the postponed peaceful marches.