Islamic Commission making ‘nonsensical proclamations’ – Activist
Political activist and former Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) secretary general, Dan Msowoya, has unleashed venom on Islamic Commission for Justice and Freedom (ICJF) chairperson Shaibu Ajassi over calls it made for Malawi Speaker, Richard Msowoya, to resign saying he cannot combine his two positions following recent political escapades.
Msowoya is also vice president of the Malawi Congress Party ( MCP).
According to Ajassi, Msowoya had compromised his position – as Speaker – for offering his official parliamentary vehicle to whisk away party colleague, Jessie Kabwila, was on hunt by police for sedition charges.
Ajassi had reiterated that the position of Speaker needed someone who was “impartial.” Ajassi added that what the Speaker had done “was uncalled for.”
But Msowoya argued that as a grouping seemingly obsessed with Justice and Freedom, they should have noted that, been empathetic about the despicable denial of justice and freedom of those victims.
“It would make a lot of sense if the ICFJ had in the press conference they mounted, expressed indignation at gruesome murder of seven innocent victims, incinerated to death in Nsanje,” he wrote.
He said the Commission must be “ruled out of order” on their call for the resignation of the Speaker of Parliament
“Any person of ordinary intelligence knows that the current Speaker of Parliament is a member of the Malawi Congress Party and when he was being elected Speaker all members of Parliament knew they were electing an MCP legislator to the position of Speaker, and they did. There has not been any call from the National Assembly to have the Speaker resign his position in the party.
“The position of the Speaker in his party of affiliation has no effect howsoever and whatsoever on the discharge of business in the August house; therefore it is a frivolous and flippant argument to proffer. Similarly the reference to previous Speakers as having relinquished their positions in their respective parties is merely an abstract and rhetorical assertion in the sense that the previous Speakers referred to still sat in their party caucuses,” he argued.
Msowoya then blamed the Commission for being impartial.
“In this regard the Islamic Commission is probably acting subjectively or worse as mere reflectors of someone’s ideas. Their assertions cannot be backed by any law or any plausible school of thought for that matter. Speakers can only be impeached by those that elect them according to Law. It is not by such whimsical, unfounded, absurd and nonsensical proclamations as those of the ICFJ,” he ranted.
On the use of the parliamentary official car, Msowoya said the car “is not a personal car of the Speaker.”
He wrote: “Perhaps the Commission is victim of culture shock, when a Member of Parliament other than the Speaker travelled in it. That must indicate to the ICJF that each Speaker who assumes that office has his/her own disposition of character and is demonstrated by the way he/she relates with colleagues in his charge.
“It was not an attempt to dodge arrest as alleged by the ICJF and their associates. It is therefore naive of the ICJF to present use of an institutional vehicle by Hon. Jessie Kabwila or any other MP for that matter as reason for demanding the resignation of the Speaker. That is extremely immature and childish.”
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :