Personal business interests, lack of commitment and language barriers are keeping members of Parliament (MPs) out of the chamber, a new study has found.
The study, titled ‘Parliamentary Absenteeism in Malawi: Causes, Implications and Way Forward’, was conducted by the Political Science Department of the Catholic University of Malawi (Cunima) and presented at the 4th Biennial Political Science Association Conference in Salima.
Researchers said chronic absenteeism has raised public concern over Parliament’s effectiveness, accountability and ability to represent citizens.
Of the 99 members of the public surveyed, most cited lack of commitment as the main reason for absenteeism, followed by personal business interests and language barriers.
Weak disciplinary measures, long distances to Parliament, illness and conflicting schedules were also mentioned.
The lead researcher, Chimwemwe Kandodo, said the pursuit of personal business interests aligns with public choice theory, which posits that politicians may act out of self-interest.
MPs gave a different account. Of the 57 MPs interviewed, 90 percent said constituency engagements were the main reason they miss sittings.
Parliamentary clerks cited a mix of factors, including constituency duties, unexplained absences, illness, bereavements and party activities.
Consequences
The study found that 78 percent of respondents believe weak citizen representation is the biggest consequence of absenteeism, followed by poor policy formulation, wastage of public resources and delayed deliberations—a pattern similar to Ghana’s experience.
Trust in Parliament remains low. Only 21 percent of respondents said they have a lot of trust in Parliament, 33 percent have some trust, 30 percent have little trust and 16 percent have no trust at all.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said the findings reflect a weak culture of accountability.
“Some MPs appear to treat attendance as optional rather than a fundamental responsibility arising from the mandate given to them by voters,” he said. “Absenteeism can, therefore, reduce the quality of debate and scrutiny and, in some circumstances, affect voting and the ability of Parliament to properly interrogate legislation and government decisions.”
Cunima lecturer Beauty Msiska Phiri, who was part of the research team, said the study reveals a perception gap between the public and Parliament.
“Public perceptions emphasise lack of commitment and competing personal interests, while clerks highlight constituency engagements,” she said. “Existing attendance mechanisms are present, but appear inconsistently implemented or understood.”
She called for stronger monitoring and enforcement of attendance rules, better scheduling to balance constituency work with parliamentary duties, and public disclosure of attendance records to improve transparency.
Private practice lawyer Benedicto Kondowe said Parliament must act on its own rules.
“Parliament cannot repeatedly condemn absenteeism, threaten sanctions and then tolerate the same conduct. It cannot credibly summon ministers and public officers to account for their performance while failing to hold its own members accountable for simply turning up for work,” he said.
The concerns echo sentiments inside the House. When Parliament rose in April, Speaker Sameer Suleman criticised high absenteeism, saying it disrupted proceedings and hindered deliberation on critical national issues.
Leader of the House Jappie Mhango, who is also Minister of Transport and Public Works, said MPs should be ashamed of their conduct, noting little improvement despite repeated warnings.
Malawi Congress Party Chief Whip Moses Kunkuyu said absenteeism and late reporting had become habitual and stressed that attendance is not optional.
