Legal Committee to review Constitution report
Parliament’s new Legal Affairs Committee plans to review the 2007 Constitutional Review Conference report with the possibility of recommending its adoption after years on the shelf.
The report has not been tabled before Parliament since the Law Commission submitted it to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Among the issues contained in the report, which include a proposed Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, are a proposed adoption of the 50-plus-one percent electoral system, reinstatement of the recall provision for members of Parliament (MPs), qualifications of presidential candidates, a president changing political parties on election, but also a review of the constitutional bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Malawi Human Rights Commission.
Newly elected chairperson of the committee, Lilongwe South West MP Peter Chakwantha, disclosed in an interview yesterday that it would only be after the committee reviews that report the recommendations would be made on the way forward.
He said: “I have had a chance to look at the report and the committee will take up the review of the report. The Constitution as a living document has to reflect on the current scenario. Since 2007, a number of issues have taken place, most of which were not anticipated.”
Chakwantha said after the committee reviews the report, there would be possible adoption of recommendations which have stood the test of time since 2007.
The Legal Affairs Committee has also been tasked with appraisal of the new Standing Orders of Parliament which have come into effect despite not being tested by the House.
Chakwantha disclosed that the committee, alongside the Media Committee will go through the Access to Information Bill before it is tabled in Parliament as the Peter Mutharika administration has promised.
Please the issue of making on indigenous language a national language will turn Malawi into another Rwanda. We do not want to see this. Leave English langauge, though it is an imperialist language, its nuetrality in the interest of national unity it is the right and appropriate language to be maintained as official language for the country. I write this as a warning. I know the level of knowledge of Malawi Mps. They can do anything without envisaging the implication of the act. This could the reason in future qualification of an MP will be a Master degree from a well recognised University not from MIM in Lilongwe or Jerusalem University (USA/Lilongwe) or online degrees from a university without a proper address. A President will be a hold of PhD not honorary doctoral degrees. Mbuzi zonse ku Estate.