‘I will ensure there is attendance in the House’

President Peter Mutharika on May 19 appointed George Chaponda as Leader of the House and Government Business in Parliament, replacing Francis Kasaila. Our reporter FATSANI GUNYA caught up with Chaponda to find out how he is faring in his new role.

Q: How did you react to the news of your appointment by the President?

A: My first reaction when appointed to this role, was to profoundly thank the President, Professor Peter Mutharika, for the trust and confidence that he has shown in me. Of course I am not doing this for the first time. In 2005 I was also at the Foreign Affairs before I was made the Leader of the House by the then President Bingu wa Mutharika. I think that time I was at Local Government as its minister. And also in the two years in which I would say we [the Democratic Progressive Party-DPP] were caught in the wilderness in Parliament as we tasted the opposition benches in the House following the death of Bingu, I was also entrusted by the President to lead the party in there whilst he remained the overall leader of the party.

Q: Since this is not the first time you are leading the party in the House, how do you understand your role as Leader of the House?

A: The good part of it is that it’s like when you are repeating a course or a class. Obviously the lessons learnt in the past help you as you go on. So, for me I have been looking at the past and say to myself: “Well, maybe I could have done better that time and this time let me improve.” And also you have seen other people who have assumed the same position in the past and you learn from there and try to do your best. But basically as  Leader of the House, I think one’s role in Parliament is mainly to coordinate government business in the House.

Q

What will do you better than your predecessors?

A

For me, I can only say of what I think is very important which is to ensure there is attendance. In Parliament, you have to work with the Speaker, First Deputy Speaker and the secretariat to ensure that the respect which is expected of Parliament is honoured. And also to bring to the attention to the members of Parliament (MPs) to live up to the expectation that they have been elected by their respective constituencies. Sometimes people fail to understand that the government and the opposition are really supposed to work together in serving the country. There are moments that people tend to forget this and then it becomes a game of accusations and counter-accusations and so on, which is one of those unfortunate things. But if the people rose above partisan politics and look at it in a mature way, wholesomely represent the people back home in their endeavors, it will be good and that is mainly what I will be striving to do in my tenure.

Q

Absenteeism is indeed a big problem in the House. What will you do to help improve attendance?

A

Party Whips are supposed to enforce attendance from the historical point of view. Literally, these were supposed to whip the party people ‘back in line’, if you like, in the House of Commons or call them for meetings. But for us, nowadays, we use a roll call which we maintain and where each member is supposed to respond to his name and sign against it every time they attend a meeting just to identify who has not come on that particular day. And if one is absent, you remind them of their implications and complications.

Q

Our MPs usually take partisan agendas to the House except when it comes to improving their welfare; that is, their perks. How will you ensure that the House’s role of advancing people’s agenda is enhanced?

A

Well, I have seen—as I have been a member of Parliament since 2004 up to date, that even if you compete with others, one stands a better chance of being re-elected if you can demonstrate that you have been working for them. And the only thing that convinces the constituents is development in their area. Sometimes we underestimate the constituents especially in the rural areas but I tell you, they do follow the business of their MP.

Q

How will you ensure that the House doesn’t waste time deliberating issues that people consider peripheral to their lives?

A

It’s because in the Business Committee, we have a time frame on how we feel business should proceed in the House.  For instance, we know we were to start with the State of the Nation Address [Sona] by the President which was to be closely followed by responses by the leaders to the main opposition parties. And then there will be some Ministerial Statements in between the General Debate before the 2016/17 National Budget Statement is presented by the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development. From there, those responsible for finances in the opposition will also make their responses in the House before the other members come in. But then there will be a recession. I think from May 30 to June 10 where MPs will go into committees to better scrutinise the budget allocations so as to make in-depth contributions in the House.

Q

Because you were too close to Bingu, some quarters say you are now ‘controlling APM’. How do you respond to this?

A

No! no! no! I must tell you one thing. The two Presidents I have worked with, both the late Bingu and the incumbent Professor Peter Mutharika, are highly principled. They always choose people out of merit, real merit. And I must make it clear here that if I make a mistake today, I can get fired. They have standards and they won’t let them be compromised for anything. Actually, if you can go back in the days, I was told to step down [under Bingu] when someone leaked news to a journalist, that we would be changing our allegiance as a nation from Taiwan to China under my nose. Bingu was not amused. I graciously took responsibility and was duly replaced.