DPP takes Section 65 battle to parliament, as donors laud JB
Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has dared to pick a political fight with President Joyce Banda’s ruling People’s Party (PP) following its decision to petition Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda to start a process of invoking Section 65 of the constitution in a bid to declare vacant seats of lawmakers that have crossed the floor.
DPP Secretary General Wakuda Kamanga confirmed that his party has written the Speaker in line with the country’s laws.
“Yes, we’re petitioning the Speaker, I think the party will write him Monday but I don’t have details. Why can’t you speak to DPP’s leader of the house,” Kamanga told Daily Timeson Monday.
DPP publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi added: “Some people are arguing that we should not petition the speaker because the party survived on similar case in 2009, but we’re saying two wrongs do not make a right.”
Dausi has replaced Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba as DPP spokesman. Ntaba is now the party’s Director of International Relations.
DPP has seen its overwhelming majority in the National Assembly being trimmed to about 53 legislators in less than a month after the party’s founding father Bingu wa Mutharika died. Most of the parliamentarians have joined PP while a handful of others have become independents.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s strategic donors under the Common Approach to Budget Support (Cabs) have heaped praise on President Banda’s reform agenda saying donors are pleased with the path the President has taken since taking over power from the late Mutharika.
“Most development partners support actions government takes. We’re ready to implement measures that the president announced that will level the playing field,” said Cabs co-chairperson Andrew Mwaba , according to The Nation newspaper.
Cabs, is Malawi’s biggest budget backer and its members include United Kingdom, Norway, the AfDB, European Union (EU), World Bank and Germany.
On prospects of US government resuming Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Mwaba said he remained optimistic that Malawi stands a better chance of clinching the deal that is aimed at upgrading the country’s archaic power infrastructure in order to enhance service delivery.
