Chakwera returns to Parliament
President Lazarus Chakwera will tomorrow return to Parliament to answer questions from members of Parliament for the second time since he assumed office.
State House director of communications Sean Kampondeni confirmed the development yesterday during the weekly press briefings held virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions.
He said the President will appear in the House in fulfilment of his promise to govern by the rule of law.
Section 89 (4) of the Constitution provides that “the President shall be called to Parliament to answer questions at such times as may be prescribed by the Standing Orders of Parliament on a motion of the National Assembly or Senate”.
Chakwera is expected to respond to two scheduled questions and supplementary questions from 2pm, according to presidential press secretary Brian Banda.
“The President will be physically present in Parliament. They [Parliament] put in place guidelines to manage Covid-19,” he said.
According to recently adopted House rules governing questions to the President, the exercise shall last one hour and 30 minutes and the Vice-President may also join the House for the session.
Leader of Opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa previously joined lawmakers in asking questions to the President and is once again expected to lead the onslaught.
Chakwera previously appeared in Parliament to general acclaim after becoming only the second president in the country’s history after Bakili Muluzi to respond to questions from a democratically elected House.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima accompanied the President and the duo conferred on several occasions.
Meanwhile, Banda said the President’s pledge to trim several presidential powers now awaits the Bill drafting process by Ministry of Justice.
Commenting on whether Chakwera and Muluzi discussed the former president’s K1.7 billion corruption case that has stalled for close to 15 years during their meeting in Blantyre last week, Banda said the two did not discuss the matter. However, he added that Chakwera believes in the independence of constitutional bodies such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau; hence, would not interfere with their work.
