House reconstitutes Defence Committee

Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara yesterday announced a new Defence and Security Committee of Parliament following the expir y of the previous committee’s mandate.

In her opening announcement in Parliament, she said the reconstitution follows the requirement prescribed in the Constitutional Amendment of 2021, which dictates that members of the Defence and Security Committee serve a single two and a half-year term.

Said the Speaker: “The lifespan of the Defence and Security Committee ended in December 2023, as such, it needed to be reconstituted.

“Unlike the three other constitutional committees whose membership can be repeated and recycled, the members of the Defence Committee can only serve one term.”

The new committee has members of Parliament (MPs ) Paul Nkhoma , Bennex Mwamlima, Enos Kanyerere Chitanganga and Enock Chizuzu from Malawi Congress Party as well as Yusuf Nthenda, Daudi  Chida, Gladys Ganda, Bright Msaka, Damson Chimalira and Benedicto Chambo of the opposition Democratic

Progressive Party (DPP).

Independent MPs Jason Kaneka, George Katunga- Million, Salim Bagus, Yona Mkandawire and UTM Party MP Simon Salambula.

The committee will have to elect a new chairperson.

The Budget and Finance Committee, Public Appointments Committee and Legal Affairs Committee will have to be reconstituted in line with the principles of the Constitution and Parliament’s standing orders.