Speaker censures Chakwera for slurs on Mutharika

Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya on Monday censored his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera for saying that President Peter Mutharika is clinging to power. [caption id="attachment_70036" align="alignright" width="377"] Speaker Richard Msowoya: Chakwera out of order![/caption] Chakwera had said that Mutharika had failed people as he lacked leadership skills, saying he seems clueless to get Malawi out of its economic mess. The MCP president then asked Mutharika to “stop clinging to power “. But leader of the House Francis Kasaila said Mutharika has a five year constitutional mandate to rule Malawi therefore it was out of order to suggest the president was clinging to power when he was just first year in his five year term of office. Msowoya agreed and ruled Chakwera, his boss out of order. Chakwera did not contest this decision. Government Chief Whip Henry Mussa also took exception to Chakwera’s remarks that if Malawians voted today, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) would not win. “How does the leader of opposition get evidence that if Malawi went to polls today, DPP would lose?” Mussa asked on a point of order. Mussa had defended Mutharika’s address that it was not a State of the Nation Address which could incorporate developments and plans in every sector. Chakwera called for the tabling of the much-awaited Access to Information Bill and a review of electoral laws, failing which MCP would table a private member’s bill.