DPP disorder upsets speaker

 Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara has expressed frustration with the infighting in the main opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), saying the leadership wrangle is affecting smooth running of parliamentary business.

Her frustration comes against a background of the failure by the Business Committee of Parliament, which comprises party leadership and decides business to be tackled, to start its meeting after DPP presented two chief whips from its two camps.

During yesterday’s meeting, Nkhata Bay Central member of Parliament (MP) Symon Vuwa Kaunda, who was appointed by party president Peter Mutharika, and Nkhata Bay North West legislator Julius Chione Mwase representing the faction of embattled Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa turned up as chief whips for DPP.

In a telephone interview yesterday after the Business Committee met in the afternoon, the Speaker said Parliament sought legal guidance from Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda.

She said Nyirenda advised that they should settle for Nankhumwa’s appointment based on the interpretation of the court order which reinstated him as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

Hara said: “There is nothing that we can do as Parliament because this [the rift] is an internal matter. But honestly, it is derailing our business.

“We should have started in the morning, but ended up meeting hours later because we wanted this resolved. We hope the party will put its house in order to avoid such disruption of business.”

This is not the first time for the DPP parliamentary leadership wrangle to affect Parliament business.

During the Budget Meeting in March this year, Mangochi South West MP and DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba obtained a court injunction restraining the Speaker from recognising Nankhumwa’s seating plan and appointment of a shadow Cabinet.

At the time, the Attorney General expressed concern that such court orders against the Speaker when Parliament is in session have the potential to undermine the autonomy of the august House.

Yesterday, Hara said the situation should be a learning point which calls for reflection and possibly consideration in future on how party chief whips are appointed.

 Parliamentary Standing Orders (2020) grant an opportunity to an opposition party with majority representation in the House to provide a Leader of Opposition.

Standing Order 35 (1) reads: “The Leader of Opposition shall be elected by the party not in Government having the greatest numerical strength in Parliament at any point in time and officially announced as such by the Speaker.”

Where political partners not in government have equal number of MPs, the Standing Orders state: “(a). The leaders of those political parties shall jointly

convene a caucus to elect the Leader of Opposition; (b). Following the election of the Leader of the Opposition, the successful candidate shall communicate his or her election to the Speaker who shall make an announcement in the Assembly to that effect.”

Under Standing Order 36, the Leader of Opposition can also be removed from office.

In an earlier interview on Tuesday, University of Malawi political scientist Joseph Chunga warned that the step DPP took to elect Mulanje South West MP George Chaponda as Leader of Opposition would culminate in a long court battle.

Political strategist Humphrey Mvula, in a separate interview earlier, described the events in the DPP as unique and strange in that the individuals involved are experienced in politics. He said even Mutharika seemed happy to fracture his legacy with these developments.

In 2009, the whole Parliament took part in the vote to elect Leader of Opposition after amending the Standing Orders following recommendations from the House’s Legal Affairs Committee.

This culminated in the election of youthful Abel Kayembe, replacing veteran Malawi Congress Party leader John Tembo, who had been Leader of Opposition since 2003. Tembo went to court and got the post back