‘Give us freedom from fear’: Malawi MPs demand financial independence

Malawi’s MPs have launched a fierce push for financial freedom from the Executive, demanding both complete autonomy over Parliament’s purse strings and a dramatic hike in its share of the national budget to properly carry out its duties.

The demand came from Vice Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee Gift Nankhuni, speaking Tuesday at Parliament in Lilongwe during a presentation by Parliament’s Legal Officer Moira Matenje.

Nankhuni and fellow committee members didn’t hold back, venting frustration over the Executive’s continued grip on Parliament’s funding — a stranglehold they say repeatedly stalls the Legislature’s planned activities.

Drawing a pointed comparison, Nankhuni took aim at the disparity between Parliament and the Judiciary.

“I have always wondered why when you go to the Judiciary, you find that there is no interference at all from the executive. When there is interference, it is at a particular level,” Nankhuni said.

Mchinji North MP Rachel Mazombwe echoed the sentiment, insisting the Legislature’s lack of independence had dragged on for far too long.

She argued it was high time MPs and Speakers of the House were given the freedom to do their jobs without fear of intimidation — or being left cash-strapped.

Budget demand: from 0.53% to a whopping 1.6

The meeting, which also featured presentations on the proposal to introduce local languages into parliamentary debates and an update on the ongoing review of Standing Orders, saw the committee push for a dramatic increase in the Legislature’s share of the national budget — jumping from a modest 0.53 percent to a far more substantial 1.6 percent.

The proposed hike, MPs argue, would give Parliament the financial muscle it desperately needs to properly fulfil its constitutional watchdog role — without having to constantly go cap in hand to the very Executive it’s meant to be holding to account.