Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Member of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara has become Malawi’s first female Speaker of Parliament.
Hara who is legislator for Mzimba North East amassed 97 votes to beat Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominee Esther Mcheka-Chilenje who got 93 votes.
The new Speaker holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree (Political Science) from the Chancellor College and a Postgraduate Degree International Development and Project Planning and Management from the University of Brighton (UK).
She served as Minister of Health and Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs
in the Joyce Banda administration.
Hara was also MP for Mzimba North East from 2009 to 2014 and she returned to the House following last month’s elections.
MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka said the party is over the moon following Hara’s election adding that it is evidence that the party encourages unity.
“We know that honourable Hara’s election will unite Malawi and we are happy to have made history in electing the first ever female Speaker,” Mkaka said.
