The debate is flagging

Not the new dawn any more?

A hot discussion topic in the country this year has been the plan by the Government to change the design of the national flag, replacing the one that has been in use since independence in 1964.

The two designs are shown on the right (current version at the top).  The Flag Bill passed in Parliament this month, in part because of a series of opposition boycotts and walk-outs during the last Parliamentary session after the budget and some other bills were allegedly rushed through.

The Government's argument, as reported in the press, is that the original depiction of a rising sun was fine for its time (reflecting the exciting new dawn for the country), but Malawi has moved on since then and so a full sun would be more appropriate.

The opposition says that this is not a sensible use of resources when the economic situation is not strong, and so many Malawians are living on less than US$1 per day.

The impact, hassle and cost of the change will be significant.  Time alone will tell when the debate and argument will die down.