High Court adjourns Speaker, FND case on Section 65
High Court in Blantyre has adjourned to September 24 hearingf of the application by the Forum for National Development (FND) for Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya to be resrained from exercising his duries as head of the legislature.
FND, through their lawyer Bob Chimkango, is seeking an order of interlocutory injunction restaining Msowoya from being Speaker , arguing that he defection from r the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to join United Transformation Movement (UTM)which Vice-President Saulos Chilima launched, meant he crossed the floor and violated Section 65 of the Constitution.
Justice Mike Tembo adjourned tha matter because the State was not ready to proceed with the matter.
FND national coordinator Fryson Chodzi claimed in a statement that by voluntarily resigning from MCP and wilfully joining UTM, has crossed the floor against Section 65 (1) of the Constitution.
“What is challenging is that the section gives the Speaker powers to declare the seat vacant. In this scenario, Msowoya has put his office into disrepute and in a quandary to make such a determination which affects his position as well,” said Chonzi who is being accused of being bankrolled by the ruling DPP.
The section punishes members of Parliament (MPs) who voluntarily quit political parties that sponsored them to Parliament and join another party also represented in the National Assembly.
Msowoya, who during the UTM launch promised to help Chilima win the 2019 elections, could not be drawn to comment.
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A Chozi ndalama zikuphani believe me. What about Uladi Mussa and Ralp Juma?
This thing which was comparing the Pope’s age in Vatican with the APM’s age at the Malawi state house is the thing which DPP should think of removing from its DPP political party than wasting their time by harassing Hon Rechard Msowoya who has not joined any political party which is represented in parliament. UTM is not a political party in its nature but it’s a movement.
UTM is not a party in parliament how can they use section 65? The really people who crossed the floor is pp zomba Mp Nangozo who joined dpp! why arent u persuing that.