Malawi parliament suspended over MPs demand for loans

Malawi Parliament has been suspended until further notice and  MPs say they’ll only reconvene if their conditions of service are discussed and reviewed.

Parliament adjourned prematurely on Thursday after an opposition Peoples Party legislator asked for an early rise to force the government give them the K3 million loans for each of the 193 members of parliament.

Chitipa South MP Welani Chilenga asked for the early adjournment, arguing the government was not coming out clear on the matter.

“We are not getting any joy from the government so we cannot go ahead with the deliberations unless we get response from the government,” he said.

After the First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje put the vote on the floor on whether the House should be suspended, three quarters of the House voted for the adjournment.

Leader of the House George Chaponda said the adjournment would negatively affect business in the House.

He said there are crucial issues the House is supposed to deliberate including the buying of maize for starving Malawians.

Chaponda accused the MPs of putting their personal interests first before interests of Malawians.

Finance minister Goodall Gondwe said the government had allowed the MPs to access the loans from their banks and wondered why this was an issue.