UDF MPs relocate to govt benches in Malawi Parliament: Speaker says nothing wrong

May 4, 2015 Nyasa Times Reporter 36 Comments

United Democratic Front (UDF) members of Parliament (MPs) have been goven a go ahead to join their Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) counterparts on the government benches in Parliament, Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya has confirmed .

President Mutharika and Minister Atupele: Agenda for close working relation
President Mutharika and Minister Atupele: Agenda for close working relation

The UDF MPs will relocate to the government benches from Tuesday when Parliament reconvenes for national budget deliberations.

President Peter Mutharika is scheduled to open the Budget Meeting of Parliament this Tuesday. The 2015/16 budget sitting, will go on until July 3.

UDF whose leader Atupele Muluzi drafted in President Peter Mutharika’s Cabinet as Minister of Home Affair and Internal Security, requested the Speaker to relocate its 14 MPs to government benches to reflect the governing pact.

Speaker Msowoya confirmed the new sitting arrangement, saying UDF will not be contravening any law .

“UDF MPs will sit on the government side. The Attorney General [Kalekeni Kaphale] says there is nothing wrong for the members to ask to be moved and as a Speaker, any member is free in the chamber. So, as it stands, UDF MPs will now sit on government benches,” Speaker Msowoya said.

UDF chief whip in Parliament Lilian Patel said the move to relocate to government benches was agreed by the party.

Constitutional law expert Edge Kanyongolo, who is an associate professor of law at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, argued that there is no defection in the relocation as Section 65 did not refer to the physical movement of MPs in the House, but the act of leaving one political party to join another or an organisation whose objectives are political in nature.

UDF came to power in 1994 after defeating Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in 1994. It swept seats in the Southern Region and most seats in the Central Region. During the 1999 elections, UDF won 91 seats, but the figures continued to drop in the subsequent elections when it won 49 seats in 2004 and 16 in 2009.

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36 replies on “UDF MPs relocate to govt benches in Malawi Parliament: Speaker says nothing wrong”

  1. There is evidence that Kamuzu anali dolo, koma dziko lino limandivetsa chisoni….. kaya tidikire tsiku lachiweruzo tiyiwale zotukula Malawi .

  2. This merger will only make UDF MPs to be ‘yes bwanas’.No wonder because you are not there for best of the country but yourselves.Rule Lucius Banda rule for really you are only practicing what you have been preaching to your beloved country,Malawi.

  4. Umbuli still haunting UDF, Muluzi still destroying his party further. Lucius is now principled. Tiyeninazoni zikutherani, kutereku Atupele ukuona ngati a DPP ndi opusa, sakudziwa zomwe bambo akufuna? Tikuonani mmene mutaathere.

  6. Southerners dats the way to go. Watch out those against the merger ndi awa anzathu a kokoliko ndi odana ndi Chimwemwe mbusayu. Ndangodutsamo pepani

  7. PIPO MAKE THE GO SAY LIFE GOES ON NAWOO,ATUPELE U NO NO PLAY YO GAMES RYT MA BRO NOWOO YOU GO C NA U R A MASONOVANGALASH.

  9. Omega 0999195520 – Atupele is just doin fine so that pple should know their true leader from God come 2019 is chakwera and mcp ,,he is greedy like his father

  11. Kuvota molakwika, timanena ife voterani chakwera Koma makani kuvotera president opanda mano uja tizionera limodzi

  13. Yes as they put it it does seem okay for UDF to ask for permission to “cross the floor”…..the learned A.G sees nothing wrong with this and approves of such an unconstitutional move. What a way to depict the rule of law as a principle of constitutionalism.

  14. Pity the UDF Members of Parliament amene pano asanduka akapolo a the Muluzi family. All this is to thank the DPP for almost dropping the Muluzi case. Is there anyone among you poor souls whose conscious is still working stand up and say no to this? UDF no longer has a national agenda to pursue. I suggest the Party should just deregister once it is sure Muluzi”s case has been completely discontinued.

  17. it only hurts the pple who voted 4 udf coz they believed in the party bt see how they have traded this party,being honest fellow malawians these two big rats want to sway chilima for the benefit of their own but i thnk the proffesor has 4goten hw chilima helped hm to gain position kaya ximenexo nde ndale zapamalawi

  18. If you were thinking that the southerners are fools then you can check yourself. Mafana ofewa amenewa.

  19. Malawi is good at one-party system.These actions of parties beat the purpose of elections and democracy.I tend to wonder why Malawians cried for Multi-party democracy in the first place.

  22. Atupele, bambo akonso amakonda ma coalition.

    Mukufuna kukapereka ngongole ya Milli basi Ku MBS.
    Iwe ndiye juvenile basi. Chaka chatha koma sindikuwona chimene mwathandiza bomamu.

    Unfortunately you are unemployable!

  24. So voters just woke up to the news that these two parties with very greedy leaders just decided to merger? Poor voters are needed during voting time and after that it’s total black out on the part of govt who during campaign their tongues were falling on the ground promising people heaven on earth! I’m also very optimistic that in the next elections these two parties will be one with mutharika and atupele as vice president and Mr. chilima will be busy making and serving nice mzuzu coffee for these two bustards. Thank God I’m a tumbuka from Rumhi and there’s no way in hell I can be part of this confussion. Malawians are meant to believe this country is for these two corrupt families.

  25. Pamalawi basi ndale zake za zii chifukwa zomwe atsogoleri akuchita ndizinthu zopangitsa uchitsiru anthu owavotela cos sitikagona usiku ndi usana ife pomenyera nkhondo kuti UDF iwine.lero kusintha poyera yera koma ndalamadi ndi satana!!!

  26. This move is very welcome. yasala PP to join. it should not have been different in the place had it not been for a few greedy misguided individuals. UDF,DPP and PP are the same. please form one united front.

  27. Izi zinaziwika kale kuti Atupele ndi peter pali Zomwe zingachitike…..i as a citizen of malawi i jst say…tiziona mapeto ake

  29. Omega – 0999195520 Malawian politicians thinks that many pple in their country are dull …if udf mp’s are in dpp beanches why not b4 election they did not make this alliance – atupele is a greedy politician like his father and he and his colleagues should 4get returning their seats come 2019 and it’s not 2far ,,,,,,,that’s why i give respect to mcp our next party to rule 2019

  31. LAW IS USELESS AS THOSE WHO CLAIM TO PRACTICE IT. THESE IDIOTS HAVE CROSSED THE FLOOR. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU CALL IT RELOCATE OR WHATEVER.

  32. We saw it coming.. By 2019, UDF and DPP will field one presidential candidate and then UDF will be just like Aford after 2019 – kutha ngati makatani… The trend for all political parties and politicians in Malawi is very predictable.

  34. But what was the basis of introducing the anti crossing the floor law? Was it not to strengthen democracy by not weakening the opposition? Because if this was the motive of legislating this peace of legislation then the speaker and the expert you consulted are wrong because the purpose of the law is defeated therefore no need to have this section in Malawi because no one is interested in enacting it.

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