Two legislators have so far joined the race for Speaker of Parliament ahead of elections set for October 29 at Parliament Building in Lilongwe.
President Peter Mutharika on Sunday named Blantyre City Chigumula BCA Club Banana Constituency member of Parliament (MP)-elect Sameer Suleman as the candidate for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) while People’s Development Party leader Kondwani Nankhumwa, who is Mulanje Central MP-elect, yesterday announced his candidature.
Born on June 20 1977, Suleman, renowned for his criticism of the immediate-past Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration in Parliament, was first elected legislator for his constituency in 2019 on a DPP ticket after twice failing in 2009 on a United Democratic Front (UDF) ticket and in 2014 as a People’s Party (PP) candidate.
and Nankhumwa. | Nation
From June 2019 to July 2025 when DPP was in opposition, he was chairperson of the Parliamentary Agriculture Committee. He is a businessperson and previously also served as Football Association of Malawi president.
On the other hand, Nankhumwa, who was born on July 3 1978 and has been legislator for his constituency since 2009, has over the years served in various roles, including Leader of Opposition in Parliament and Leader of the House while he was in DPP. He also served in various parliamentary committees, including chairing the Parliamentary Media Committee from 2009 to 2011.
In an interview last evening, Nankhumwa, who is his party’s sole legislator, expressed confidence he could win the position.
Elections for Speakership roles are determined by numbers and traditionally parties bank on partnerships to secure them.
From the 224 constituencies that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) declared results, DPP secured 78 seats.
DPP is followed by independents with 70 seats while the erstwhile governing MCP has 53 seats and UTM Party with eight. UDF won four while PP and Aford grabbed three each and Freedom Party, National Democratic Party and PDP clinched one seat each.
To attain the Speakership positions, one has to secure a majority of the votes in a first-past-the-post system.
UTM Party publicity secretary Felix Njawala, who won the Mwanza Central parliamentary seat, said last week that his party will support the candidature of its vice-president for the North Catherine Mzumara who has expressed interest to vie for the position of Deputy Speaker.
He said Mzumara, who won the Mzimba North seat, communicated her interest to the party.
In a related development, political parties represented in Parliament have started making appointments to various leadership positions.
To date, DPP and UTM have announced their parliamentary leadership which is dominated by women.
DPP has appointed first-timer Patricia Wiskes of Lilongwe City Nankhaka Constituency as its chief whip with Mzimba Hora Constituency MP-elect Martha Munthali as her deputy, according to DPP secretary general Peter Mukhito.
On its part, UTM has appointed veteran legislator Patricia Kaliati, MP-elect for Mulanje West, as its leader in Parliament while Njawala is the chief whip.
Njawala said in an interview yesterday that Karonga Nyungwe MP-elect Kenneth Ndovi is the party’s deputy chief whip.
He said the party believes in shared leadership and inclusivity and that Kaliati’s appointment demonstrates UTM’s confidence in women’s leadership capabilities.
MCP publicity secretary Jessie Kabwila said her party was not ready to release names of legislators to take up various leadership roles in the National Assembly.
However, MCP sources indicate that former Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara is expected to become the Leader of Opposition while MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda, a former Leader of the House, will serve as chief whip deputised by his deputy secretary general Gerald Kazembe, MP-elect for Mangochi Monkey Bay Constituency.
In a separate interview, PP publicity secretary Ackson Kalaile Banda said yesterday that discussions were underway regarding leadership appointments and whether PP will be on the government or opposition benches.
“We have not yet made appointments, and consultations are still in progress on where to align ourselves in Parliament,” he said.
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) publicity secretary Annie Maluwa said following the electoral alliance with DPP, her party will not appoint separate leadership in Parliament.
Section 53(1) of the Constitution stipulates that the Speaker of the National Assembly shall be elected by majority vote of the chamber in which s/he sits at the first sitting after any dissolution of that chamber.
Further, the members shall also elect any stipulated number of persons to the positions of deputy speakers. Currently, Parliament has two; First Deputy Speaker and Second Deputy Speaker.
MEC confirmed results in 224 constituencies out of 229, with five constituencies—Lilongwe City Bwaila, Lilongwe City Mtandire- Mtsiriza, Dedza Mtakataka, Nkhotakota Liwaladzi and Blantyre West—remaining vacant due to nullifications, postponements or irregularities.
