First Deputy Speaker Victor Musowa has challenged members of Parliament (MPs) to improve the quality of debate, oversight and accountability in the National Assembly to strengthen democratic governance.
In his remarks during the close of a three-week parliamentary training for the first cohort of legislators at the Malawi School of Government (MSG) Kanengo Campus in Lilongwe on Friday, he said Malawians expect a mature and procedurally grounded Parliament.
Said Musowa: “The voters out there expect maturity in the way we run business in the House. Parliament and government are reshaping the same person elected from the community into a proper legislator and representative of the people.
“The points of order from now onwards, for instance, will have to be mature and procedural considering that issues of procedure have been covered so intensively.”
He further urged the MPs to take a leading role in strengthening oversight at both national and district council levels where large portions of development resources are being channelled.
“Over K3 trillion in the national budget has gone to district councils. That means oversight has to go where the money has gone because our role is oversight on government expenditure,” said Musowa.
Meanwhile, MSG director general Lewis Dzimbiri described the programme as a critical investment in human capital and democratic governance.
He said the initiative forms part of wider efforts by MSG to build a high-performing public service capable of improving service delivery and advancing the country’s long-term development agenda under Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development strategy that seeks to transform the economy to lower middle-income status by 2030 and upper middle-income by 2063.
Said Dzimbiri: “MPs require a broad understanding of Parliament, the economy, law-making, local government systems and public administration to effectively execute their constitutional mandate.
“We want public officials to perform very well. If everyone performs their roles well, service delivery in this country will certainly improve.”
Nkhotakota Liwaladzi legislator Thokozire Lunji (Malawi Congress Party) described the programme as transformative, saying it had strengthened MPs’ understanding of oversight, leadership and parliamentary conduct.
“With the knowledge we have acquired, we will manage to do the right things in our constituencies. It will help us in representation, etiquette, debate and legislation,” she said.
The training was organised through a partnership between Parliament and the Malawi School of Government with financial support from the European Union. It equipped participants with practical skills to improve parliamentary business and oversight of public resources, including under the revised Constituency Development Fund (CDF) guidelines.
The first cohort consisted of 45 MPs who covered modules on parliamentary procedures, constitutional law, public finance management, policy analysis, governance, ethics, oversight, media relations, mental wellness and constituency representation, among others.
