Opposition Parliamentarians Wants Fellow Legislature Punished By Speaker

Opposition Legislature’s Irked by Speaker’s Delay in Punishing Blantyre City Central Temba Mkandawire for Assaulting an Usher

Some of the Members of Opposition in the National Assembly took to task Second Deputy Speaker Hon. Clement Chiwaya over the delay of Speaker’s ‘appropriate action’ towards their fellow honorable member for Blantyre City Central Constituency Themba Mkandawire.

Hon. Mkandawire on Tuesday afternoon immediately the House was suspended for lunch break, assaulted a Parliamentary Usher over a 2015 calendar. The parliamentarian punched and headbutted the Usher, Jones Sabola for refusing to give another calendar.

Lilongwe Mpenu legislature Hon. Leonard Makalangozo expressed worry that as the house expects to rise sine die this Friday, it is apparent that unparliamentarily behavior by hon. Mkandawire will just be let free since the house shall possibly meet in June for another session. He also asked why the speaker is delaying to report to the House what appropriate punishment has been given to Mkandawire.

“As you are aware the matter is being handled by the speaker’s office and the communication shall be made as of what action has been taken.” Said Chiwaya, “So far that decision has not been communicated to us I would therefore like to request that until such decision has been made we proceed with the business.”

The explanation by Second Deputy Speaker did not carry substance to other parliamentarians including Hon. Lingson Belekanyama, a Lilongwe Msinja South parliamentarian who rise on point of order saying “This is a very sad thing which has taken place in this House.” “This is a criminal case!” he added

“This is honorable House, we need to behave exemplary and not come here as boxers fighting in this chamber. And it is very sad to fight, to kick this member off staff…,” he went on “We were supposed to have a committee of inquiry, to inquire on what really transpired for this member of Parliament to punch the member of staff. We cannot condone such behavior in this House…, This is Criminal case!”

“This assault which has taken place in this House needs to be handled with special care, since we are rising tomorrow then we go and wait till sometime in June or July that’s not on, we need this issue be tabled today and tomorrow have a report in this House”

Leader of the House Hon. Francis Kasaila suspended the matter following his call for a meeting with all political party leaders at the speaker’s office immediately the house adjourns to find out what is happening.

National Assembly Passes 2014/2015 Supplementary Budget: Two Amendment made to DPP, Legal Aid Votes

National Assembly Passes 2014/2015 Supplementary Budget: Two Amendment made to DPP, Legal Aid Votes

The National Assembly has authorized the government to use total sum of sum of K769.2 billion following passing of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill of 2014/2015 financial year.

In the just passed Supplementary budget, government was seeking an additional resources amounting to K32 billion.

Allocations to Directorate of Public Prosecution and State Advocate (DPP office) and Legal Aid have been passed with amendment while Road Fund Administration vote which was deferred on Friday has been passed without any alteration.

The adjustment made by the Minister of Finance on the votes was to maintain the resource allocation as approved in the budget.  Therefore resources for DPP office have been sustained to K495.7 million and not revised K536 million while Legal Affairs Department vote has been retained as approved provision of K227.3 million and not revised K210.4 million.

The amendment has been reached upon following member’s from opposition benches proposal that the two institutions be sufficiently funded for the effective prosecution of the ongoing cases particularly of Cashgate and enabling less privileged Malawians to access to justice.

Excited Goodall Gondwe in an interview said his two months labour has finally paid off. He said passing of this bill will help government to be effective 

“If we didn’t have it there would have been problems, because there are some votes which are very important but did not have enough money therefore it means that they would not have been performing. Now that they have money every ministry should be able to perform, they cannot say they are unable to perform because the money is not available.”

National Assembly Approves K769.2 billion:

Appropriation Bill Expected This Afternoon

The Malawi National Assembly’s Committee of Supply has approved the Supplementary Budget of 2014/2015 Financial Year which the governement was seeking additional resources amounting to K32 billion.

The house in the morning of Tuesday has approved sum of K769.2 billion to be part of the Consolidated Recurrent and Capital Accounts for the purpose set out in the Revised Recurrent and Capital Estimates.

Afternoon of the day the house will convene to pass the Supplementary Appropriation Bill of 2014-2015 financial year.

The house approved 57 votes with two amendments on votes which were deferred on Monday; Directorate of Public Prosecution and State Advocate (DPP office) and Legal Aid Department. This follows a reversal of what Finance Minister said on Monday evening that he is not going to change figures for the deferred votes. However, The Road Fund Administration vote which was deferred on last week Friday has been passed with same figures which members had protested against.

Before passing the two amended votes, some parliamentarians expressed dissatisfaction that the Minister of Finance had announced the change without providing the House with Supplementary Order Paper to indicate the changes that were made.

This subsequently saw the Lilongwe Mapuyu-South Parliamentarian, Hon. Joseph Njobvuyalema and Former vice President of The Republic of Malawi who is also the legislature for Mzimba South-West, Khumbo Kachali standing on point of order, expressing that government has flouted procedure.

In an interview, Njobvu yalema said: “Fortunately government has admitted that indeed that, it flouted  procedure of Section 57 of the constitution, which states that, any amendment of to the budget figures or activities has to be in writing by the Minister of Finance himself”

“This time around he did not do it and am not happy that the Minister did flout the procedure.”

Njobvuyalema said, since the decision to continue with the verbal approval of the budget resources was a consensus of the whole house, which “is supreme” he is impatiently waiting to see that the Appropriation Bill to be presented this afternoon has all the two amended votes.

 

Goodall Gondwe

“I didn’t broke procedures,” Said Gondwe, justifying that this is why the supplementary budget has been approved.

On changes made to two votes Gondwe said: “I could have said the let things stay as they are. But I found that probably we should maintain the figure for the Director of Public Prosecutions by returning it to its approved figure and not reduce it by K50 million. Similarly, the Legal Aid Department, which its allocation was being reduced by K16 million has also returned to its approved figure.

“The total amount is K67 million and I am reducing the Statutory vote of compensation by that amount and increase the K67 million on the two votes and I reduced the Compensation amount and that’s how the whole budget balances” he said.

(Munthu Wakuda Leo contributed part of the information in this story)

No Increment to Deferred Votes- Finance Minister

As Committee of Supply Deferred 2 More Votes on Monday

Finance, Economic Planning and Development Minister says he is not going to make any increment to votes being deferred by the National Assembly in the ongoing Committee of Supply.

On Monday evening the Committee of Supply has deferred two votes bringing total number of deferred votes to three following Road Fund Administration vote which was deferred on Friday for having meager allocation.

The two deferred votes are Directorate of Public Prosecution and State Advocate (DPP office) vote which has a revised allocation of K462.3 million from approved provision of K495.7 million and the Legal Aid Department vote which has been deferred by Finance Minister himself without explanation. The vote has an allocation of K210.4 million a revision from approved K227.3 million.

Goodall Gondwe

Reacting to Malawi Voice question if he is going to make some increment to the DPP office vote, Gondwe was quick to say No, no, no.., I hope to convince them some more

Gondwes response is apparent following Mondays Order Paper where Road Fund Administration vote which was deferred on Friday appeared having same figures of revised allocation of K23. 8 billion from approved provision of K25.87 billion.

The Committee of Supply on Monday deferred DPP office vote for having a reduction of up to K50 million. This prompted much debate in the house as opposition members felt the deduction could result into the interference with the work of DPP particularly on prosecution of ongoing cash gate cases.

Members of Parliament for Lilongwe Msinja South Lingson  Belekanyama, Lilongwe Mapuyu South Joseph Njobvuyalema as well as Salima South parliamentarian Uladi Mussa were among the first parliamentarians to inquire from the finance minister why DPP office has been given a meager allocation yet it is responsible in handling very important cases of Cash gate.

Uladi Mussa said the office needed more funding for its obligation of prosecuting cases and therefore allocating little resources to the office will result into inefficiency of government lawyers who may at times fail to attend court sessions for lack of resources like fuel.

Hon. Njobvuyalema at some point said allocating enough resources to DPP office is not only crucial for smooth prosecution of cash gate cases but also vital in bringing back donors confidence.

However, before deferring the vote Gondwe together with Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs Samuel Tembenu maintained that the allocation was enough at the moment and assured that the allocated amount will not suffocate ongoing cash gate prosecution.

Gondwe said should the department say they want to have more money during the next four or five months Ministry of Finance will make money available to the department But for the time being I would not want to see money lie idle when it can be used somewhere

Only six votes are expected to be passed this Tuesday and later the committee will pass Supplementary Appropriation Bill.

Though the Committee of Supply managed to pass 14 votes on Monday, business of the committee was too slow as compared to Thursday and Friday sitting. This was because members had a lot of questions on how the Ministry of Finance arrived upon each vote allocated to government departments and ministries.

62 Dead, 153 Missing, 20,000 Rescued; Kasaila Reports in Parliament

62 Dead, 153 Missing, 20,000 Rescued; Kasaila Reports in Parliament

The Leader of Malawi National Assembly Honorable Francis Lazaro Kasaila said floods that have hit the country from the onset of the first rains during rainy season for this year have claimed 62 lives and 153 still missing.

Kasaila was addressing the House on Monday as the Members of Parliament were beginning the first sitting for the 3rd Meeting (Budget Review) of 45th Session.

He said search for the missing persons is underway and currently 20,000 victims were rescued. He mentioned that the South African government has brought in two helicopters for the task of distribution of food and other humanitarian assistance and added that World Bank will assist Malawi government with US$600,000 towards the replanting of lost crops destroyed by the floods.

Commenting on the statement, Leader of Opposition Dr. Lazarus Chakwera President for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) thanked government for being quick in its response when the disaster hit 15 districts. He also appreciated humanitarian assistance coming from all organizations responding to government calls and other calls being made by other International organizations.

People’s Party (PP) Leader in the house Hon Uladi Musa also thanked government for ensuring that flood victims from all areas and districts are being reached out with much needed humanitarian assistance.

And United Democratic Front (UDF) Leader in the House Hon Lucius Banda also appreciated government and all other institutions and individuals that are supporting the victims and expressed his heartfelt condolences to those that lost their lives.

After leaders of the political parties, Members of Parliament also took to the floor commenting on the statement made by the Leader of House and urged government and all well-wishers to continue support the flood victims.