Introduction
For seventy-three years, starting from 1891 to 1964 when Malawi was a British Protectorate Malawians protested against a government that ruled without their consent. Our forefathers and mothers fought a long and protracted struggle against the system of packing the colonial administration with appointed people who were not responsible to the ordinary people they claimed to represent. Malawians resisted and fought the denial of freedom of speech, assembly, movement and publication. They relentlessly resisted and struggled against detention and imprisonment without trial, and arbitrary searches and seizures by the colonial masters.
Malawians also fought long and hard battles against the economic neglect of the country, low wages, poor housing conditions, lack of education, health and other social services. In the struggle for independence and emancipation, many were arrested, jailed, tortured and hanged. That tradition of struggle and resistance is still with us. When Malawians feel afflicted with injustice, oppression and denial of their freedoms they have never failed to rise to the occasion to demand their rights.
The attainment of independence in 1964 that Malawians fought for resulted in the replacement of one repressive system of government with another and did not result into the desired social political and economic change. Malawians have suffered more in the post colonial era than before. Under the pretext of peace and calm, law and order, the people of Malawi have been denied their basic rights, civil liberties and the rule of law. And more recently, the vices have been promoted under the pretext of consolidating multi-party democracy or development.
The whole legal and political system has been stifled and personalized by a clique of individuals at both party and state level of governance. Economic growth has not benefited the majority; most people live in abject poverty, ignorance and disease and perpetually suffer from preventable diseases. The Malawi Congress Party had misplaced priorities for our development. Their 1961 manifesto, made reference to grand economic and social development, but by being deliberately vague it did not lay down concrete policies and real achievements have fallen short of publicly acclaimed promises. Provision of social services among the infirm and disabled, and the promotion of cooperative and community based income generating activities were promised, but never implemented. Reduction of poverty and inequality in incomes and disparities in economic power, were proclaimed but are yet to be delivered. In education, illiteracy has not been wiped out. Nor has the goal of universal primary education been attained.
In health, the increased medical services that were widely professed have fallen far short of needs. These have been made worse by poor remuneration that has culminated into a search for greener pastures abroad. In agriculture there are clear and visible signs of absolute failure and collapse of small-holder farming because of wrong policies. There is now widespread poverty and starvation across this nation. The catalogue of the MCP's, neither UDF nor DPP unfulfilled promises is endless. But the most pronounced of the disasters which the MCP, UDF and DPP have bestowed upon this nation is the extreme and gross abuse of our rights.
Their lack of commitment to our political development is visible by the absence of any reference to democratic ideals in their Party’s manifesto. In fact the past government treacherously removes from the 1964 and 1994 Constitution, which brought independence to our land and multi party democracy Bill of Rights. The promotion of basic human rights, civil liberties, the respect of the rule of law and all known democratic ideals has never been part of the MCP culture nor UDF, nor DPP governments. It is now time to look back, reflect, take stock of the past and begin thinking about the future.
The NATIONAL RAINBOW COALITION (NARC) PARTY Government that will be launched soon and will be born out of the protracted struggle and toil of the Malawian people, youth, women and farmers clubs who thirst for economic empowerment and good economic policies.
NARC’S MISSION
It is NARC PARTY Government's mission to put people first through the promotion, on a continuous basis, of human rights and democracy;
to secure constitutional reform which will ensure that there are checks and balances to limit abuse of power to educate the public and the public servants in matters pertaining to civil liberties and responsibilities and respect for the electoral process to educate the people of Malawi on the limits of power and authority of government over people to promote sustained socio-economic progress and well-being for all Malawians to create an environment that is conducive to solving and avoiding problems of specific population groups and to foster strong friendships and co-operation with all our neighbors, all other responsible governments and non-governmental organizations. Freedom of speech, Freedom of assembly, Freedom of choice, and Freedom of Expression are every Malawian's inalienable rights. These are the founding principles of NARC PARTY Government's political philosophy.
NARC PARTY Government will encourage and uphold respect for the dignity of all persons, nurture a culture of tolerance for divergent views, and create an understanding that government at all levels is subject to the will of the people. Malawians affirmed their commitment to rejoin free nations of the world on 14 June 1993. Tyranny and dictatorship were rejected in favour of political, social and economic justice. NARC PARTY Government is committed to translate these aspirations and expectations into reality by systematically and incisively pursuing the principles, policies and strategies contained in this manifesto.