By Joseph Mwale

Copyright mwnation

Debate has ensued on whether presidential candidates in the country should be subjected to declaration of assets to promote trust, public accountability and proactive transparency.

It comes after the National Anti-Corruption Alliance (Naca) issued requests to the 17 candidates to voluntarily declare their assets, although 15 of them are not obliged to do so under the Public Officers (Declaration of Assets, Liabilities and Business Interests) Act.

In one request to 17 presidential candidates on August 20, Naca chairp2erson Michael Kaiyatsa said by declaring their assets before seeking the highest office, they would demonstrate transparency, integrity and a genuine commitment to accountability.

For incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, he said another declaration before the September 16 General Election would demonstrate commitment to governing without hidden interests and that he was willing to be scrutinised.

However, by September 10 deadline set by Naca, none of the 17 candidates had made the declaration.

Independent presidential candidate Milward Tobias said in an interview yesterday that declaring assets even before elections are held would hardly provide the truth.

He said: “People nowadays use proxies, they will declare this little, but they have some much hidden through their proxies.

“Again, what law will we be using to declare assets? I am coming in to uphold the law, and then I do that which the law does not require me to do?”

His argument is supported by Catholic University of Malawi dean of law James Kaphale who said in a written response that no law would support what Naca was suggesting.

He said: “Presidential candidates are just aspiring to be public servants after being elected. They are not yet into any public office at the moment except for the incumbent President.

“So, they are not amenable to declare their assets until they win the elections and are sworn into the public office of the Presidency. They cannot declare assets before they are voted into power to assume public office.”

Another independent candidate, Smart Swira, said while it was important to declare assets before assuming office, law enforcement agencies were failing to act on suspects in public offices.

On his part, National Advocacy Platform national coordinator Benedicto Kondowe said even in the absence of a law, aspiring presidential candidates can voluntarily submit their declarations to an independent body such as the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declarations.

He said: “Asset declaration is vital because it helps build public trust, deters corruption, and provides a baseline against which future wealth can be measured.

“For presidential aspirants, it signals accountability to the people they seek to lead and reassures voters that their candidacy is not about self-enrichment but about serving Malawians.”