Clerk of Parliament urges newly-elected MPs to serve the people
The Clerk of Parliament, Fiona Kalemba, has called on newly-elected Members of Parliament to put aside their different political backgrounds and ideas and concentrate on harnessing their varying skills and experiences for the common good of the country.
Kalemba was speaking on Monday, 10th June 2019 at the Bingu International Convention Centre during the opening ceremony of the orientation workshop for newly-elected Members of Parliament.
“The people of this country having voted you into office are looking forward to your service, and they have placed their faith in you to deliver for them,” she said.
The Clerk observed: “Malawians out there expect you to represent them. Your presence in the Chamber or committee rooms is, therefore, of paramount importance because this is where you will be expected to contribute and make decisions which will impact on the lives of those millions of people that have confidently voted for you”.
Speaking earlier, Margaret Patricia Curran, former Member of Parliament for the House of Commons and Scottish Parliament, asked the Members to be guardians of democracy and the voice of the people.
“Whether on tackling poverty, fighting climate change, managing Malawi’s tax revenues or dealing with regulation for business – you are their voice,” she advised.
The orientation has been organized against a background of a low retention rate of Member of Parliament. Of the 193 Members from the previous Parliament, only 64 have made it back to the House.
The orientation is aimed at providing the elected Honourable Members of Parliament, essential general information on Government operations and contemporary issues relevant to Members.
“The orientation will further provide a platform for Members to be introduced to appropriate parliamentary skills, practice and procedures which are required in the Chamber and in Committee work.
“However, for long term purposes, the Parliament of Malawi organizes the Parliamentary Training Program, to which every one of you will have the opportunity to be trained in depth,” Kalemba observed.
It is expected that after the training, the members will have knowledge and understanding in a number of areas including: House Procedures and Rules; how to conduct debates that will reflect the interest of all the people of Malawi; how to pass laws that should further the values of the Constitution, expressed or implied; and how to scrutinize the content and implementation of policies and actions of Government to promote accountability and transparency.
The training has been organized with financial and technical assistance from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the Democracy Works Foundation and African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) for the technical support.
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Mayi Curran mungotaya nthawi yanu. Anthuwa saamva, akangopasidwa sikono basi aiwala zoimira wanthu kumaganizira za m’mthumba mwao. Anthuwa amlowa ndale chifukwa cha dyera osati kuimira anthu omwe awasankhawo. Adakana 50+1 chifukwa cha dyera, akadalola pano tikunena zina.
Will our MP’s serve the people? I doubt it. It is harvest time for the majority of our MP’s. They are in the August house to serve their own self interests. Take a look at independent MP’s. They are already flocking to the ruling party in droves. I think we need to review our laws as regards independent candidates. Joining any other party when you were elected as an independent is identical to deception. There are people who would not have voted for these greedy beings had they stood on a party ticket. These voters have been deceived by these independents. Supporting government or ruling party does not always require one to join the ruling party. You can support government bills even if you are in opposition. The guiding principle is to support bills that will change lives of Malawians for the better. This is what a selfless MP would do.
If these independents think they cannot support government business if they remain independents, can they for a second think why is it possible for our MP’s to speak with one voice when it comes to raising their pecks? This shows that if our MP’s have our concerns at heart, they can work together regardless of their political affiliations.
Looking at the mess created by this year’s tripartite elections, I strongly believe there is need to review our laws or constitution so that the president’s five year term of office ends say 6 months before an election. This will prevent abuse of public institutions and resources by the ruling party and help level the playing field. In the interim, the Chief Justice who should have powers to appoint his own cabinet should take over until a new president is sworn it. This is just my view.