Malawi Elections: We will target households—Masauli

Republican Party (RP) presidential candidate Stanley Masauli says his party believes that development must start at the household level instead of government being concerned with erecting megas-tructures at the expense of people's welfare.
Masauli, who was speaking during an interview last week with Weekend Nation as part of Know Your Presidential Candidates Project, said RP, as social democrats, believe in solving ills affecting the household.
Asked to name two things that he can do for Malawians immediately if elected, Masauli said first he would employ the unemployed and revisit the budget with a view to controlling overexpenditure.
Queried on how he would do this, the RP leader said: "If elected, we will tackle unemployment by revitalising MYP bases as agricultural units. People are lacking basic things such as soap, paraffin, matches and school fees. People are eating deya (husks). Instead of thinking of megastructures, RP wants to improve people's lot at household level."
The RP leader also revealed that his party would phase out fertiliser subsidy.
He also accused government of wastage.
"Just visit any DC's office. You will find 15 to 20 old government vehicles parked. When you ask them, they say the vehicles wait to be boarded. That is wastage. If elected, I will make sure that my convoy only has five vehicles. That is all. The rest is wastage," said Masauli.
Asked why Malawians should elect him as president on May 19, Masauli said he is leading a new party with new leadership and is talking about issues that affect the people.
But the RP president said if he loses on May19, he will call for a convention for RP to choose a new leader.
Commenting on his relationship with NRP president Gwanda Chakuamba, a man who tried to deregister RP but was stopped by the court, Masauli said it is normal.
"We do not talk because there is nothing to talk about. But our relationship is normal. I went to court to stop his intention to dissolve RP and join DPP just to prove a point that a party does not belong to one person. I am happy that Gwanda now regrets that move," said Masauli.
Masauli also admitted that RP's presence is minimal throughout the country but argued the party was building structures on the ground first before making its presence known. 

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