Mwapasa confirmation as Malawi police IG delayed: Speaker snubs extension of time

Parliament on Friday failed deliberate and vote on the motion for the  confirmation of Duncan Mwapasa as Inspector General of Malawi Police Services  following a ruling by Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara disallowing government request for extension of time.

Government had priotised other business for the day including a loan authorisation bill before tabling motion on Mwapasa.

When Parliament was about to adjourn, leader of the House Kondwani Nankhumwa,  asked for the House to extend time to discuss Mwapasa’s motion.

However,  opposition lawmakers, who had few numbers on the day,  rejected the move.

Madam Speaker ruled that Nankhumwa ought to have made the request before 12:30pm as per standing orders of parliament.

Gotani Hara adjourned the House to next week when the motion will be discussed to confirm or reject Mwapasa.

As a way of showing disapproval with the ruling, government legislators and front bench comprising of Cabinet  ministers didn’t stand when the Speaker was walking out of the chamber .

However, opposition MPs showed their respect and  kept cheeringan shouting “Alilatu, alilatu.”

President Peter Mutharika named the interim Inspector General of Malawi Police Service to replace Rodney Jose, who has gone on holiday ahead of his retirement in October.

Civil society organisations have been  lobbying Parliament to reject  Mwapasa, saying  his  appointment would compromise the independence of the security agency because he  is a ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) sympathiser.

Commenting on the matter, governance expert Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that it doesn’t require one to be a political, legal or security analyst to appreciate how the Malawi Police Service has in recent times been deeply captured by the DPP under the watch of both Jose and Mwapasa.

“It  would be a typical case of betrayal to public interest and indeed a reward for impunity if Malawi Parliament proceed to confirm Mwapatsa as IG,” Munthali said.

He said beyond the call for rejection of Mwapats,   it is important that Parliament prioritised reforms in the appointment of Inspector General of Police for posterity sake.

“The problem is two folds.  On one hand is our continued failure to fully reform the appointing powers of the Inspector General of Police. While some have argued that there is nothing wrong with the current arrangement where the President appoints subject to Parliament approval, in practice it is the President who has much powers to limit the scope from which Parliament can approve from.

“ At the end of the day, we have seen the President and the ruling party bringing their own people and often using their numerical advantage in Parliament and in some cases bribing some  independent MPs and opposition to approve their stooge,” said Munthali.

He pointed out that the  President has “absolute powers” to determine the people to be presented before Parliament for approval.

“And the criteria for such appointments has often not been based on merit or public interest  but rather vested political interests,” he noted.

Munthali said as long as the appointing authority is retained in the Presidency, the country shouldn’t expect any serious reforms to work.

He said Police should be professional by serving all Malawians by refraining from being seen as an arm of the ruling party.

Munthali said the Police in recent demonstrations has been acting more like a ruling party military arm.

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