More pressure to reverse K4bn funding
Eight opposition parties outside Parliament have joined the groups calling for corruption investigations and reversal of the decision to allocate K4 billion to parliamentarians during the Mid-Term Budget Review Meeting.
The parties: People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde), National Unity Party (NUP), New Labour Party (NLP) People’s Transformation Party (Petra), Republican Party (RP), United Transformation Party (UTP) and Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD), have threatened to obtain a court injunction if the transaction is not stopped.
In a press statement dated March 14 2018, the parties have said the money must not be disbursed and that government should call for a meeting of Parliament within 30 days to reverse the approval.
The law says the Speaker calls for a meeting of Parliament in consultation with the President.
However, this call could fall on deaf ears as Parliament is due to meet in May for the 2018/19 budget meeting.
The parties have also alleged that the money was meant to help the incumbent MPs campaign ahead of the 2019 elections not for constituency development.
“What Parliament did in regularising this illegal transaction is utterly questionable and blameworthy. The opposition in Parliament cannot excuse itself from the illegal transaction but thanks for having withdrawn. We encourage them to maintain that stand,” the press release reads.
The parties also want Minister of Local Government Kondwani Nankhumwa investigated on how he allegedly identified the initial 86 MPs to benefit from the funding.
“Hon. Gondwe should also clarify his several contradicting statements on this and tell the nation the truth, preferably in Parliament. If this is not done, we are going to court to obtain an injunction to stop the whole illegal transaction,” the parties have said.
Out of the political parties which signed the press release, only four have participated in general elections either on their own or through alliances.
Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe has since called for a meeting with civil society organisations (CSOs) who are calling for his resignation over the debacle.
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace has described the sharing of the K4 billion by legislators as unethical and immoral at a time when the government has cut allocations due to budget constraints.
Among those who signed the press release are PPM president Mark Katsonga Phiri, Petra president Kamuzu Chibambo, Mafunde president George Nnensa, NUP’s Hawkins Munyenyembe, NLP’s Joseph Kubwalo, RP secretary general Langton
