Speaker's Ruling To Instill Peace In The National Assembly

PP MPs protested over Ngwira's suspension

Leader of House in the National Assembly Honorable Francis Lazaro Kasaila says the ruling to be made this Monday by Speaker of National Assembly Richard Msowoya will help to bring back order in the house.

Kasaila in an interview admit that the house was in chaos in the last two days of the third week of this budget sitting following the disagreements that emerged in the house in particular on Thursday when the Second Deputy Speaker was forced to invoke rule 105 to Mzimba Hora MP Hon Christopher Mzomera Ngwira over misconduct and that the member should not attend proceedings for two days.

The house on Friday also began on a sad note when the Peoples Party Chief Whip Hon. Ralph Jooma asked the speaker to reverse or make ruling on the decision made on previous day by his Second Deputy saying it was erroneous decision. But the speaker told the house that he needs thorough consultations and that he is going to make a ruling on Monday, however things were not even normal as all People’s Party MP’s, some few MP's from Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and President for Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) Enock Chihana boycotted the proceeding in protest that Hon. Ngwira's two day suspension was erroneous.

According to the Leader of House some of these incidences have sent a wrong impression to the public on how MPs behaves in the National Assembly but he promised that public should expect order in the remaining two weeks including the time when the house will be in Committee of Supply.

“So far the business has been okay except for one or two incidences that happened and it is our hope that the speaker and the Secretariat will take control of those issues because we don’t want to create a wrong impression of how we want to conduct our businesses in the house.” said Kasaila, adding “As the speaker said he is going to pronounce himself on what happened on Thursday, we hope that after that honorable members will adhere to the ruling of the speaker”

The chaotic actions in the National Assembly began on Thursday when Second Deputy Speaker invoked rule 105 to Mzimba Hora Parliamentarian Hon. Christopher Mzomera Ngwira for his misconduct. The member refused to honor Second Deputy Speaker's decision that the house should not ask further Minister of Education on the Clarification Notice he presented in the house pertaining to how students are selected to various secondary schools as it was requested by the same parliamentarian that the Minister aught to clarify why Northern Region Secondary Schools are filled with students from South and Central region of Malawi and not Northern Region students themselves.

Hon. Jooma and PP members felt the decision especially to rule that Mzimba Hora Parliamentarian should miss proceedings for a second day was erroneous and out of order because the appropriate punishment was to invoke 105 (1) where the member is supposed to leave the Chamber for the remainder of that sitting day and not a rush to 105 (3) where a speaker can suspend a member on the first occasion, for the two sitting days period from the time of suspension.

The Speaker is expected to make his ruling at 14:00 hours on Monday when the house resume meeting after being adjourned on Friday afternoon.