21 May 2010

Opening of the mew parliament building in Lilongwe

I am at the capital for mid-service medical and training. I was dropped in area 14 for my dental exam, which I passed with flying colors, and found that it was just a few blocks from the new parliament building. Thanks to the lovely people of China, we now have a massive building for all of the members of government to work and gather. Anyhow, it just so happened to be the day of its grand opening, so I decided to pop in and have a cultural experience. Security was minimum and it took me about one minute to get through the gates. The place was packed with Malawians who all found the only white girl wondering around to be a more interesting site than the building. After walking around the outside I went to the stage area to see if I could spot anyone of importance. Somehow, by a freak coincidence, I was able to get a seat not far from the stage with some party supporters (DPP- Democratic People's Party). I saw my MP (Member of Parliament) and SMS 'hello' and watched the traditional dances performed by the ngoni (a tribe dispersed in small areas of the country). A representative from the Chinese government gave a speech about partnership, religious leaders of Islam and Christianity thanked God, and Bingu (the President of Malawi) spoke of development.

It was a bit of a long event, 3 hours, but really interesting to see. I was glad to have luck place me in the area so I could see such a memorable event for Malawi. Also, I feel like a minority as not a single other white person could be seen at the event, except a couple dignitaries in the front. I hope to return soon and see some of its halls and meet with heads of state. Till then it's good to see people so happy about their government and interest in the halls which they'll now be welcomed in so that they can see the workings of their state.