As Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda looks set to apply Section 65, one of the possible victims, Uladi Mussa has made his intentions clear that he will seek court relief. Section 65 is the controversial law that stops any MP from joining another party represented in parliament or outside, other than the one that […]
Leader of Government Business in Parliament Henry Phoya has described as “confusing” but “normal” defections of lawmakers in the wake of Section 65 but says the situation is likely to stabilise. The last two weeks has seen at east eight MPs making a U- turn after dumping opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for governing People’s Party and recently […]
The impending execution of the controversial law Section 65 which regulates MPs from crossing the floor has sent jitters in the National Assembly with most DPP legislators announcing their return to the party. The de facto ruling People’s Party (PP) attracted more than 110 Members after its leader Joyce Banda assumed the reins of power […]
Malawians joy of change is diminishing as time goes after the autocratic rule of late Bingu Wa Mutharika. This has come not only because of rise in cost of living and other degrading factors, but due to the behaviour of politicians who jump from one party to the other in search of greener pasture. The transition has been a dodgy one […]
Implementing the law that regulates MPs on crossing the floor, Section 65, on legislators who have en masse joined People’s Party (PP) of President Joyce Banda will be catastrophic on the country’s ailing economy, treasurer general for PP, Brown James (BJ) Mpinganjira, has warned. Over 40 former ruling Democratic Progressive Party MPs who jumped ship […]
Three members of parliament who defected from former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to join People’s Party (PP) have retreated and went back to their party as he Speaker is set to apply Section 65 of the Constitution which regulates MPs from crossing the floor. Speaker Henry Chimunthu Banda told Parliament on Thursday that Dr […]
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Henry Chimunthu Banda, is set to act on the petitions he had received against those people who have crossed the floor. Section 65 of the Malawi Constitution bars law makers from joining another party already represented in the House. After the budget presentation, about 110 members of parliament who have defected to ruling People’s […]
When Pope John Paul II died, speculation was rife among Africans that the next pope will be a Nigerian. Cardinal Francis Arinze was one of the senior advisers of Paul John Paul II and therefore considered ‘papabile’ by many. Vatican experts, however, downplayed the prospects of Arinze by citing the church’s long tradition of preferring […]
A law lecturer at University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, Leton Mauya Msuku, says Malawi should literally ‘delete’ section 65 of the Malawi Constitution saying it is irrelevant. Speaking on Contemporary Issues, a panel discussion program aired on Radio Islam, which also featured former ruling DPP’s Nicholas Dausi, Msuku argued that section 65 has the hallmark […]
Pressure is mounting on for the Speaker of the National Assembly, Henry Chimunthu Banda, to invoke Section 65 at a time when over two thirds of the Members of Parliament have defected to the now ruling People’s Party (PP). Joining the choruses now include political scientists and the Malawi Law Society with the latter threatening […]
Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has dared to pick a political fight with President Joyce Banda’s ruling People’s Party (PP) following its decision to petition Speaker of Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda to start a process of invoking Section 65 of the constitution in a bid to declare vacant seats of lawmakers that have crossed […]
While opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is hatching ambitious plans to ask National Assembly Speaker Henry Chimunthu Banda to invoke the controversial Section 65 which bars legislators from crossing the floor, some organizations and legal experts have questioned the moral basis of the move . This come hot on the heels of a recent DPP […]
At least 13 lawmakers from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who defected to the ruling People’s Party of president Joyce Banda have now declared themselves “independent” legislators The sudden move comes as the jaws of the anti-defection law, Section 65 are slowly being sharpened d by the former governing party to bite all defectors. The parliamentarians […]
It is better for Malawians to be left to decide on whether they want anti-defection law Section 65 scrapped off from the country’s constitution or let its jaws bite, an associate law professor from the University of Malawi’s Chancellor college, Edge Kanyongolo has said Section 65 in part gives powers to the Speaker of parliament […]
Think-tank Forum for New Direction (Fond) says it is encouraged by Malawi’s President Joyce Banda’s “dream” state-of-the nation address but warned that until Malawians begin to see speech translated into action it will remain what she just said it is, “a dream”. “State of the nation addresses … generally are full of rhetoric, flowery, inspirational […]
Scores of former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) parliamentarians have written Speaker informing him of their intentions to join People’s Party a development confirmed by Speaker of the National Assembly Henry Chimunthu Banda. Chimunthu Banda said his office has been practically overwhelmed by requests from DPP parliamentarians wishing to change allegiance and positions in the […]