MP claims Marriage Bill bulldozed

Member of Parliament (MP) for Lilongwe South West Peter Chakwantha   on Friday accused government of bulldozing the passing of the Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Bill.

Chakhwantha, who is also chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament, said government flouted the newly adopted standing orders which, among others, stipulate that a bill passes through his committee before proceeding for debate in the National Assembly.

Said the MP: “The way the bill was presented and the manner in which debate on it was moderated leaves some of us feeling shortchanged; there has been a lot of marathons and manoeuvres which is uncalled for in this day and age.”

The new standing orders provide that the first point of call for bills—government or a private member—is the Clerk of Parliament (CoP) who then refers it to the relevant committee,  in this case it is the Legal Affairs.

Said Chakwantha: “What has happened is that procedures have been flouted and government these days is good at waiving standing orders to accommodate their inefficiency and shortcuts.”

He said the bill has “some ridiculous and imported elements” which needed his committee to look into before it came to the whole House.