The Malawi Government has declined to participate in a national stakeholders’ dialogue organised to assess the administration’s first year in office, citing concerns about the proposed methodology, representation and credibility of the exercise.
The dialogue, organised by a coalition of civil society organisations, was intended to examine the government’s performance in economic and democratic governance, the rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, human rights and the delivery of public services.
Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi said the proposed assessment did not provide sufficient assurance that its findings would be objective, representative and balanced.
The government maintained that it remained open to constructive engagement and offered to facilitate discussions about its programmes and achievements.
The disagreement highlights the challenges of building trust between government and civil society when assessing public performance.
Why it matters: Independent scrutiny and constructive dialogue can help citizens evaluate government performance and encourage public institutions to respond to concerns.