Speaker kicks out Mchacha, Chikwanje for causing disorder in Parliament

Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara on Thursday invoked Standing Order 105 to eject Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works Charles Mchacha and  Machinga Central East  legislator Daud Al-Deen Chikwanje of  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for causing disorder in the House.

Mchacha in a violent conduct stepped to grab the  mace, the symbol of the authority,  form sergeant-at-arms, an officer responsible for keeping order during parliamentary debates and threatened them displaying impunity.

While Chikwanje kept hurling insults and shouting following a heated debate on disorder.

Despite the Speaker’s intervention, Chikwanje apparently looking high on some substance, continued shouting, a development that prompted Hara to stand so that the legislator, as per parliamentary protocol, could take his seat. However, Chikwanje did not take his seat.

The Speaker unleashed Standing Order 105 on the member to leave the House.

The two resisted the order for their eviction, leading to the chaos.

When the sergeant-at-arms beckoned the duo, Blantyre City South East legislator Sameer Suleman removed his jacket and started attacking the officer.

The  incident occurred as the Speaker was making consultations with the desk clerks who sit in front of him on a motion tabled by Chitipa East Constituency legislator Kezzie Msukwa on the amendment of the Constitution in line with the proposed Electoral Reforms as directed by the Constitutional Court on February 3 2020.

Speaker Hara is expected to further punish the  errant legislators, using Standing Order 105 (3) on Sanctions Against Disorderly Conduct which says that if a member is named, the Speaker may direct that he or she be suspended from the National Assembly for two sitting days from the time of suspension.

The court also gave Parliament 21 days from February 3 2020 to make appropriate provisions for the holding of the presidential run-off in the event that no single candidate secures the constitutional majority under Section 80(2) of the Constitution as interpreted by the court.

The House is  delebrating on the Electoral Reforms Bills  after  five-judge panel comprising Healey Potani, Mike Tembo, Ivy Kamanga, Redson Kapindu and Dingiswayo Madise, unanimously upheld a petition to nullify presidential election in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections and tasked Parliament to take appropriate legislative measures to ensure that:

• The significance of the certainty which is brought by the fixing of the date of the general election under Section 67(1) of the Constitution is preserved; and that,
• Whoever is elected President of the Republic during the fresh election, is allowed to serve the constitutionally prescribed five-year term.
• The Public Appointments Committee of the National Assembly should, in terms of Section 75(4) of the Constitution, inquire into the capacity and competence of the Electoral Commission’s current commissioners, to oversee the conduct of the fresh elections;
• Parliament should take necessary amendment action in respect of Section 75(1) of the Constitution so that the appointing authority of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission is clearly provided for.

The court also gave Parliament 21 days from February 3 2020 to make appropriate provisions for the holding of the presidential run-off in the event that no single candidate secures the constitutional majority under Section 80(2) of the Constitution as interpreted by the court.