President Mutharika Withholds Assent to CDF Constitution – Amendment Bill of 2025

President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has withheld assent to the recently passed Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Constitution (Amendment) Bill of 2025.

In a statement released on Tuesday night, Presidential Press Secretary Cathy Maulidi said the President has directed the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, in collaboration with the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, to draft comprehensive guidelines for the management of the CDF. The move, she said, is intended to ensure that development projects at constituency level continue without compromising financial integrity.

According to the statement, President Mutharika reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that the management of public funds—particularly the CDF—adheres to the highest standards of accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.

The decision follows sustained calls from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which had urged the President not to assent to the Bill. The NGOs argued that the proposed amendments would conflict with existing judicial decisions that nullified the role of Members of Parliament in the distribution and management of CDF resources at both district and constituency levels.

Civil society groups have consistently maintained that respecting court rulings is essential to safeguarding the rule of law and preventing the misuse of public resources. The government has not yet indicated when the proposed CDF management guidelines will be finalized and implemented.

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