LILONGWE, June 25, 2016, (MaraviPost): Perpetual Members of Parliament (MPs) who have been absconding the current budget sitting while collecting thousands of kwachas in allowances, are finally exposed.
This follows Speaker of the Nation Assembly, Richard Msowoya warning message to the lawmakers who habitually absent house deliberations willy-nilly that they risk having their allowances withdrawn.
Topping the list of the perpetual absentees, including Noel Masangwi (DPP MP for Blantyre City East), Ezekiel Ching’oma (MCP Lawmaker for Lilongwe Rural East), Mganda Chiume (PP legislator for Nkhatabay North) and Rachel Zulu (PP MP for Mchinji North).
Other habitual legislators milking Malawians funds without doing the needful work at Parliament including Henry Shaba (an independent MP for Mzimba Central) and Felton Mulli (DPP legislator for Phalombe Central).
In its editorial comment of the Malawi News (Times Group) dated June 25-July 1, 2016, the media house promised to continue naming and shaming perpetual absentees in Malawi Parliament every Saturday when the house is meeting arguing that their conduct was tantamount to a serious crime of theft by public servant.
“They will sit on the floor with you, take minibus with you, construct this small bridge in your area, open shops where you can get coffins for free, deploy own vehicles to functions as ambulance and donate to orphanage. In the elections, they win. With that, you have given them a licence to steal your money as they won’t be doing the job you have employed them for. They will not be absent from pocketing money they haven’t worked for.
“These people become lawmakers yet are at the forefront breaking the law they supposed to protect. Their absence from the house is ridiculous. That practice has no other name to it but fraud and theft. And everyone knows that this is a crime in the laws of Malawi and perpetrators are supposed to be punished for it.
“We urge the Speaker and leadership of the political parties to take drastic measures against these thieving MPs from us the voter, you will see. As Malawi News, we will flush out every stealing MP during Parliament meetings. It’s our responsibility to take part in strengthening our democracy and contribute to the progress of the country. We have no intentions to side with people who are traitors to this cause”, challenges the media group.
According to the paper, no apparent reasons were given from these thieving lawmakers but being entangled with personal ventures either business or education.
In reaction to this, leaders of the political parties represented in the house disclosed that most lawmakers absent from the House do not bother to communicate to them on the reasons for their absenteeism.
“I don’t want to mention names but most MPs lack passion for their job. Maybe, they don’t know why they are here. They type of lawmakers we have now are different from the old timers. The majority are business minded and seem not to care at all”, said Uladi Mussa Peoples Party (PP)’s leader of the House.
While admitting that his party (DPP) legislators also are implicated in the scandal, Henry Mussa, government Chief Whip, said that the party was yet to decide on how to deal with the lawmakers absconding Parliament session when all in all they collect allowances.
On average an MP gets not less than MK800, 000 for the period of a month every time the Malawi Parliament meets in the capital Lilongwe.
They get MK 40, 000 subsistence allowance and MK10,000 as sitting allowance totaling to MK50,000 daily yet in the current budget meeting they keep on adjourning the proceedings over disagreement on loans.