Speaker warns Mps on security

Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya yesterday warned members of Parliament (MPs) against compromising security of the House by allowing petitioners to enter the gates of Parliament Building in Lilongwe.

The Speaker was apparently reacting to events of Wednesday when dozens of traditional leaders from across the country stormed Parliament Building to present a petition warning President Peter Mutharika and his administration to discard the newly passed Customary Land Bill.

The chiefs presented their tersely-worded petition to leader of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera who was accompanied by several opposition MPs and some independent legislators right at the steps of Parliament Building.

Apparently, the MPs, who had just reconvened for Wednesday’s plenary that starts at 2pm, had learnt that chiefs had been barred from entering the Parliament Building; hence they walked out and thronged the gate to meet the chiefs.

Reacting to the developments through communication from the chair yesterday, the Speaker condemned the act, saying all petitioners should be met outside and not inside Parliament Building premises. He said defying the instruction could compromise security of the legislators.

Said Msowoya: “I ask members of the House to please abide by the Standing Orders and provisions on the processing of petitions. One person is identified to receive the petition on behalf of all members and these people [petitioners] are not, in any way, allowed to come into Parliament.

“These are issues of security and when something happens you will blame me, saying I did not do enough to help you when you have compromised your own security. These are issues of importance and must be taken as such.”

Ironically, Chakwera, who led the MPs to the Parliament Building steps to meet the petitioners is president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) where the Speaker is vice-president.

In their petition, the chiefs warned that if their petition is ignored they will respond by resisting the ‘land-grabbing’ move through unspecified nation-wide action.

On Wednesday, the MPs defied a ruling by First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje that only one of them should meet the chiefs and receive their petition on behalf of Parliament.

Earlier the same day, the chiefs were dispersed when they tried to march with the petition from Likuni Township on the outskirts of Lilongwe City, some 18 kilometres from Parliament Building.

The petition was read out and presented to Chakwera by Bina Shaba, the chiefs’ president on the commission against the land laws.

People’s Land Organisation (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale, who was recently convicted of trying to grab land from estate owners in Thyolo and given a suspended sentence, was cheered on when he said he supported the chiefs’ calls to repeal the new Customary Land Act, saying this will lead to foreigners grabbing land from elsewhere in Malawi, like they did in Thyolo.

In a brief speech after receiving the petition, Chakwera apologised to the chiefs for the rough treatment they received at the hand of some police officers. n