Parliament ponders court action over rejected electoral reform bills

A parliamentary committee official has suggested that parliament might go to the Constitutional Court if the House fails to pass the electoral reform bills by this Monday.

The Constitutional Court ruling gave an order for parliament to pass the electoral reform bills by close of business this Monday.

However, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members of parliament have been playing political games to frustrate the passing of the bills to the annoyance of most Malawians.

But the chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee of parliament Kezzie Msukwa said parliament might go back to the court for guidance if the DPP members of parliament frustrated the passing of the bills on Monday.

“The behavior of some of our colleagues has brought in a Constitutional crisis. We need to go back to the arbiter, the court. The court trusted us with the mandate to do the needful but we have instead brought in politics. We will have to go back to the court for us to do what is good for the country,” he said.

Msukwa also said the Anti-Corruption Bureau might investigate reports that some members of parliament received money to frustrate the bills.