Tembo says election of Leader of Opposition is ‘illegal’
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokeswoman, Nancy Tembo says the election of Ephraim Kayembe as Leader of Opposition is illegal and in contempt of court.
Tembo told Nyasa Times in a telephone interview that the Speaker of Parliament, Henry Chimunthu Banda allowed the House including government to vote for Leader of Opposition when the matter is in court.
“We [MCP] feel very sad that we feel the whole process was illegal because the issue is in court,” said Tembo.
“There was a judgement by the High Court in favour of the status quo [Standing Orders that say largest opposition party should provide leader of opposition],” said Tembo. “The Speaker appealed against that ruling.”
The Speaker allowed the vote when the opposition nominated candidates after Legal Affairs Committee chair, Henry Duncan Phoya presented a report which changed procedures of electing Leader of Opposition
“The Speaker though he fend ignorance that the matter is in court, he is an appellant,” she said.
“It is upsurd that the rule of law is not being upheld in the country,” said Tembo.
She alleged that government supported Kayembe’s candidature to fight MCP president John Tembo.
“The Leader of the Opposition will not be independent from government. He will be like any other minister,” she said.
Tembo said MCP was “bruised” but said largely the nation should mourn because she pointed out that democracy was under threat.
“We feel bruised as MCP but Malawi as a nation should worry,” she said.
“Malawi as a country is not about Hon Tembo. We really must fear for democracy. People who fought for democracy to bring about change in 1994 should be concerned,” said the MCP publicist.
Asked how MCP president has reacted to the development, she said: “He [Hon Tembo, pictured] is very calm. He cannot easily get ruffled. He believes in the rule of law and whatever the courts will determine, he will take it.”
MCP leaders let by parliamentary chief whip, Lingston Belekanyama, Makala Ngozo, Jean Sendeza and Mcstain Mkomba boycotted the election of the Leader of Opposition.
The logic is very simple. There are two opposition p[arties in parliament and these are MCP and UDF. UDF has 17 MPs. It managed to get six more to yield 23 for Hon. Mwachumu. MCP has 25 MPs (minus late Chafukira), JZU was not in the house and could not vote for himself. Four other MCP MPs boycotted the vote which means 20 were in the house, that is if all of them were in the house. Kayembe got 117 votes which means at best 93 votes came from either the independents most of have declared to be DPP and DPP itself.This means generally 21.5% of the votes could have come from MCP members of parliament sympathetic to the taskforce while 78.5% came from the Government side. Conclusion: the DPP side has produced its own Leader of the House number 2.
Yawa wa Kayembe wa kupanga prove kuti some intelligence lead some people to live in a fools paradise. MCP followers who are indeed MCP at hear will never allow another party to choose their leader Kayembe no Kayembe, Tembo no Tembo. Yawa wa Kayembe, is going to sink together with Bingu.
Kalasa Agwiyo
DPP could have done better on this.Malawi has become the only country in the world where the leader of opposition is elected by a ruling party.This is sad for our democracy.The president should not allow this to continue
Its high time Puluzu should have gone.People don’t hate MCP but they hate the evil puluzu who would like to take MCP as his personal estate and he doesn’t even realise he is very unpopular.Malawians are tired of Puluzu’s politics and they are looking for a change as change is going everywhere all over the world.Its not a monarch like ya achina queen.Puluzu azpita.Its like apongozi ake achina Nancy akumunamiza not telling him the truth and a few bootlickers who survives by licking some politician asses.2014 is not for Nkhalamba coz nkhalamba mukazilawitsa sugar zimavuta kuchokapo and they don’t even know about democracy people like Wamtharika.He will be remembered by dividing malawians.President wosasililitsa.Very useless president we have in Malawi and you really tend to question his phd credentials.Akuposedwa ndi munthu wa JC ngati Muluzi.Shame to Bingu wamtharika.
Death of democracy in Malawi. in a democratic circle, how can you choose your opposition? Its not about JZU here! lets look beyond him, DEMOCRACY!!!!!!
Puluzu anagwira la wamuyaya from kamuzu banda’s time and there is no way you can convince him about change.Change doesn’t exist in Puluzu vocabulary and he is finding it difficult with democracy that is taking place.
Kamuzu picked Gwandanguluwe to be his VP,an ex convict because he knew well how evil Puluzu was.All along Puluzu had been thinking kuti akazafa kamuzu he would be a president by default,tsoka ilo Chihana challenged kamuzu banda and the wind of change took place in malawi making a fraudster Muluzi to be a president for a multiparty rep of malawi.Since then things haven’t well with puluzu and fortunately he is injury time and he will never be a president of malawi.Chilipo apa ndikulapa machimo ake amene amadyetsa anthu kung’ona ndi ngozi zake zosaziwika bwino.Wagwa nayo Puluzu leave MCP for youngsters.Nobody likes you Puluzu oro utakakamila chotani.