Parliament rejects Mutharika’s imposition of Kasaila as opposition leader: DPP legislators to elect their choice
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Madalitso Kazombo has dismissed a communication from the former president Peter Mutharika, which suggested to depose Kondwani Nankhumwa as leader of opposition, to replace him with Francis Kasaila.
The decision came following a protest from Mulanje West MP Yusuf Nthenda who claimed that the Leader of Opposition is not appointed but elected by opposition Members of Parliament.
Nthenda asked the House to apply its Standing Orders in coming with leader of opposition and not allow the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) embtalled president Peter Mutharika, who is not a legislator, to dictate business of the House.
The Deputy Speaker has therefore deffered the Communication from Mutharika and that the leader of the opposition remains Nankhumwa, unless the DPP MPs decide otherwise.
He has since asked the DPP legislators to go back to their drawing table and come up with a name.
Governance expert Makhumbo Munthalu is on record telling Nyasa Times that it is important that MPs should have a leader in Parliament whom they have trust, respect and confidence in.
“ Any attempt to impose leaders should be discouraged and condemned in strongest terms,” he said.
Prior to the 2009 general elections, the practice in the Malawi National Assembly was to be guided by the definition of who a leader of opposition is as espoused in the standing orders: “…the parliamentary leader of the largest party, elected by the parliamentary membership, which is not in government or in coalition with a government party, and who is recognized by the speaker as such”.
An attempt was made in June 2009 to change the procedure in which a Leader of Opposition should have been identified in the House. But the attempt failed as it culminated in the illegal election of Abel Kayembe as leader of opposition.
It was the first of its kind with no precedents elsewhere in the parliamentary world. No wonder the court reversed that decision and John Tembo of Malawi Congress Party reveretd to the position of leader of oppostion.
Traditionally, the Leader of Opposition is identified immediately after a general election. The reason for this is that it is Malawians who decide which party becomes the ruling party by voting its leader as President of this country in a general election. The party candidate who comes second and with the largest number of MPs becomes the leader of opposition.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
The biggest puzzle in this saga is that both MCP/UTM are supporting Nankhumwa why???.
This is where the DPP is smelling fishy business. To them Nankhumwa is a soft baby whom they can play around with.
Let the DPP deal with its affairs without your interference, remember we still new a strong opposition to avoid history repeating itself
Aren’t you dwelling on hearsay? Where is the evidence MCP and UTM are supporting Nankhumwa?
Zimandisangalasa ndikamawona anthu mu dpp akulumana bwanji, zipitilire izi muzilumana choncho anthu oyipa inu munadya kokwanira lero mwaliziwa dziko, Zikomo Chakwera ndi chilima Chauta akudaliseni feteleza tikukagula zatsimikizika ndithu ndi anganga anga omwe akukagula apa, za ma kuponi zija ife sitimaziwona olo… awo azilumanabe choncho zawo awona kuti apanga bwanji
OK. Moti you can be happy if the entire dpp has ceased to exist and we are only with MCP/utm?
Once SKC told APM that ”Bwana Njoka saweta”.DPP has been a brooding nest of black mambas, puff-adders, anacondas and what have you. It appears this man has been a Judas Iscariot from the beginning…look at his academic credentials..so so very much fake… Malawians deserve a Leader of opposition who went through the fiery furnace of UNIMA or indeed better than that.. Firstly it is believed that he connived with the secretary general and went on to inform the Speaker that he was appointed by the President of DPP to be Leader of Opposition…and Ofcourse nobody objected…Now he goes on to… Read more »
He bought his fellow MPs? Then why can’t APM and Kasaila do the same? Banyamulenge, the best you can do is advise APM to step down and keep quiet. That way he will protect the little respect that he is remaining with, otherwise at the rate he is going he will become a complete nobody before the end of this year. Have you noticed that ALL decisions he has made since leaving Plot No. 1 have been “successfully shot down”? The atmosphere on the political stage is hostile to him, the exit door has been opened to give him a… Read more »
For sure your argument is not in any way meant to lacerate the veracity in my personal opinion. There is some very common sense in your school of thoughts..indeed it’s high time the topnotch proffessor of law retired from politics and possibly author some books. One good title could be …Politics in the third world countries and the rule of law….. Nonetheless your comprehension seem not to be traversing on the same wavelength as regards to the core matter.
Koma chinkhalamba chikuzionera. Nzeru nazonso mulibe n’chimutu chija.
While you are trying very hard to discredit Nankhumwa, you should also dwell more on the incompetency in DPP, starting with APM MN himself. As a renowned lawyer and professor of the profession to boot, didn’t he know that it’s not his duty to appoint Leader of Opposition in Parliament?
Who advises him anyway or should we say he doesn’t listen? Shouldn’t Msaka or Tembenu, both SC, have told him the correct procedure? The head of the party seems to be making blunder after blunder. Is it any wonder DPP is crumbling?
when he appointed Nankhumwa why didn t the speaker of parliament refuse. Nankhumwa wadya za MCP
Nankhumwa will not last in DPP. He will be expelled and will immediately join UTM or MCP where he is going to be neutralized. We are yet to see a tussle over section 65 for those DPP MPs who would dare to cross over to Tonse Alliance. Will see what next.
Having nankhumwa as leader of opposition makes lazarus chakwera look like a star on policy and other matters. Nankhumwa can’t think on his feet and chakwera owned him during parliamentary questions. The soon to be professor malemia/nankhumwa was clearly out of his depth. Nankhumwa oftentimes relies on speeches written for him by consultant s. Dpp can do better, the party has lots of intellectual resources who can call out the tonse alliance’s bluffs.
Engineer francis kasaila is capable 0f holding his own ground against achina chakwera, chilima, kazako and others.
Don’t forget that Kasaila’s continued presence in the august house is hanging by a thread as he is waiting for the courts to decide if he should continue being an MP or not. If he becomes Leader of Opposition now, you guys will have to immediately start looking for his replacement.
This is something really fishy with Nankhumwa.He is not the right person to lead opposition.He is a traitor.Paja people from the South dyera!!!He is eating DPP little by little.DPP watchout on this.We wonder why the rulling Tonse is in favour of Nankhumwa.DPP yeni yeni is not nankhumwa apa kkk.Bisopo njoka muudzu.The people like the Chaponda ,Mpinganjira and the Msaka are the real DPP and not this snake. kkk
Nankhumwa is not a real DPP person? You mean the DPP is so stupid that it can give the vice presidency to an outsider? He he he heeeeee! Malawians take this from me, DPP is finished. The sooner we start talking about it in the past tense the better. DPP is gone!
The parliamentary standing orders are very clear on the issue of the house Leader of Opposition (LofO). An opposition member has to put forward a name of another member of the opposition to be candidate for the position of LofO. Another opposition member has to second the nomination. At most 4 nominations should be allowed to contest for the LofO at each given ocassion. Ballots are prepared and secret voting is conducted. As far as I have gathered, Nankumwa appears not to have been subjected to these procedures to become LofO. Why was this the case? How does the house… Read more »
Now MCP wants to choose who the commissioner at MEC for DPP and now they want to choose who should be leader of opposition
Inunso muziyamba mwamvetsetsa chizungu musanachite comment. Yakana Kasaila ndi MCP? Umbuli chani?