Tag Archives: Speaker Richard Msowoya

corruption, Malawi, Top News

Malawi Speaker Msowoya, parliamentary commission members face impeachment over questionable external travels

Maravi Post Reporter

 

 

Some Members of Parliament (MPs) have declared that in the forthcoming meeting of Parliament which starts on November 19 they will impeach all members of Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).

 

The members argue that PSC has failed to meet their expectations. They say PSC is not looking into their welfare.

 

Members of the commission include Speaker Richard Msowoya , Vitus Dzoole Mwale (Lilongwe Msozi South), Emily Chinthu Phiri (Nkhata Bay South), Ralph Jooma (Mangochi Monkey Bay), Aaron Sangala (Blantyre Malabada) and Abubaker M’baya (Mangochi East).

 

The MPs are also accusing the commissioners that since the appointment in 2014, they have never presented their annual report to the House.

 

The members are also accusing the commission of their frequent external travels which they say have been draining money that could be used for various committee meetings.

 

One member who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed, on average, each commissioner gets K4 million per week as allowance, which translates to over K80 million in four weeks.

 

According to a leaked WhatsApp group conversation from ‘MPs Forum’ Malawi News has seen, the members have vowed to remove the commissioners as soon as they reconvene next week.

 

“Our commissioners, all they are doing now is globetrotting. They jump from one plane to another, spending weeks abroad and yet many MPs have never been even to Zambia,” one member said.

 

“When we converge, we should first remove the current commissioners before we vote for independence of Parliament. This commission deserves a medal of selfishness and incompetence,” reads part of the conversation.

 

Another member plotting the impeachment said the commissioners have been to Egypt and Algeria for weeks and “these are places Parliament has no connection whatsoever.”

 

The MP said they have been attending trainings in South Africa when, in just few months, they will face elections and this is no value for money.

 

According to the Member, Parliament is an oversight institution and, therefore, “it should be the last to exhibit such administrative malfeasance, Parliament should lead by example so that when it calls other branches to account, its actions, administrative and financial procedures should be beyond reproach”.

 

“Since they become PSC commissioners, they have not in a single day presented a single report on what they have been doing, why should Parliament as an oversight institution demand reports from other public institutions when our commission continues to violate the requirements of the their act by not presenting annual reports in Parliament,” said the Member.

 

PSC spokesperson, Jooma, downplayed the allegations and the Members’ threats saying this cannot happen and it was just a mere talk by the members.

 

“Such threats are the order of the day in Parliament. From time to time, we have heard about threats to impeach Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya and Vice-President Saulos Chilima. They have not been serious threats,” Jooma said.

 

Further, the MPs are accusing the current commissioners for violating the requirements of the PSC Act to report annually to the House on all its administrative as well as financial matters.

 

The commission’s mandate is to administer Parliament, oversee financial and administration management.

 

Through the 1998 PSC Act, the National Assembly appoints five MPs from different political parties represented in the House to serve as commissioners led by the Speaker as chairperson.

 

Law and order, Malawi, Top News

Malawi Parliament to deduct allowances for sessions’ absentees

Lloyd M’bwana

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Business Committee of Parliament has instructed secretariat to deduct allowances of legislators who absent themselves from proceedings without informing the Speaker.

The Speaker Richard Msowoya announced the new arrangement on Monday in the on going 2017/2018 mid-year budget review meeting.

However the time Msowaya was making the announcement, there were 16 members of Parliament (MPs) on the government side, including independents, and less than 30 on the opposition side in a House of over 190 members.

Communicating the decision after a Business Committee meeting, The Speaker said a resolution had been made that the secretariat should enforce Standing Order 41 (3) which states:

“A member, who is absent without seeking leave of absence, shall forfeit all allowances during the period of absence.

“The Business Committee has noted the high absenteeism of members in the past two weeks and has resolved that leadership of each political party should brief its members about the necessity of attending each sitting as outlined in Section 41 of the Standing Orders,” he said.

According to Standing Order 206 (3), the Speaker can grant leave of absence on the two grounds of illness or family to emergency or to enable an MP attend to public business locally or abroad.

MPs get K40 000 per day as subsistence allowance and K10 000 sitting allowance which is paid out before the meeting starts.

However, this was not the first time the Business Committee made such a resolution as a similar one that political parties should have an attendance register did not bear fruits.

The House is expected to meet for four weeks, including one week set aside for responses and general debate on Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe’s mid-term budget statement which he delivered last on Friday.

The minister is expected to wind up debate on February 26 and the changes to the budget approved by Thursday March 1 before Parliament rises sine die on Friday, March 2, 2018.

The current mid-year budget meeting has been characterised by high absenteeism on both sides of the House such that on several occasions, Parliament has had to adjourn early.

Law and order, Malawi

Drama at Parliament over Speaker Richard Msowoya impeachment sentiments

Lloyd M’bwana

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-There was drama coupled with emotions in Parliament on Monday when Chitipa South Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Welani Chilenga following his sentiments that Speaker Richard Msowoya was in the verge of being impeached.

Standing on the contribution to the Minister of Agriculture Joseph Mwanamveka’s dry spell and army worms status report, Chilenga stormed the house with allegations that the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was planning to impeach the Speaker.

The Chitipa South lawmaker went further accusing his Peoples Party (PP) leadership of also plotting to remove some of its MPs using the infamous Section 65 of crossing the floor.

Chilenga with other PP legislators are reportedly working with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which according to PP leadership is against its mandate.

“Honourable Speaker Sir, before I contribute to this Minister of Agriculture report, let me put other matters across. There is a certain party planning to impeach, you Sir. But this wont happen.

“And even my own party plans also to use Section 65 aimed at declaring our seats vacant. This undemocratic tendencies must not be allowed in this country,” fumed Chilenga.

Standing on the point of order, Dowa East MP Richard Chimwendo Banda demanded a proof of the Speaker impeachment allegations by invoking standing orders.

But Speaker Msowoya allowed Chilenga to continue with contribution on the statement arguing that had no power to control any member’s contribution content.

Msowaya therefore told the house that he remains MCP first Vice President that nothing will happen to me.

This comes as the oldest party is being served with an injunction stopping it from suspending its National Executive Committee (NEC) Members from their positions.

According to the civil case number 34 of 2018 is between claimants; Secretary General (SG) Gustavo Kaliwo, Vice President Richard Msowoya, deputy secretary general James Kaunda, treasurer general Tony Kandiero and Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwira, and defendants; MCP President Lazarus Chakwera, Ezekiel Ching’oma and NEC members.

The court has ordered the MCP NEC not to summon any claimants to the disciplinary inquires and from suspending them until trial of action or until further order of the court.

“Until the hearing of the inter-parte application for an injunction or until a further order, the defendant by either themselves, their agents, servants or otherwise however be and are hereby restrained from inviting the claimant to a disciplinary or suspending them from their member of Malawi Congress Party or from perform their duties of the position that they hold in the party.

“If you disobey this order, you may be found guilty of contempt of court and may be sent to prison or fined of your assets may be seized. Within the next 14 days an inter-parte summons must be issued,” reads the stay order.

The claimants are represented by lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale and the stay order has been served already to MCP leadership and NEC.

MCP deputy Publicity Secretary Ezekiel Ching’oma over the weekend indicated that the party will vacate the injunction arguing that the party’s side was not heard before granting the stay order.

Politics

Lazarus Chakwera assures MCP NEC members on positions security over new comers; says convention will decide

Lloyd M’bwana
MCP Rally
MCP leader jointly held the rally alongside Mia that witnessed joining of Former Mangochi Lutende lawmaker Makumba.

BALAKA-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) President Lazarus Chakwera on Saturday assured the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) members of their position following massive defection into the party.

The assurance comes amid fears amongst some MCP NEC members of the coming in of new people into the party that they will grab their positions. Continue reading Lazarus Chakwera assures MCP NEC members on positions security over new comers; says convention will decide →