Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani- Hara was forced to suspend parliamentary proceedings this morning after a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament disobeyed the Speaker’s order to leave the House.
Hara ordered the MP for Blantyre City South East, Sameer Suleman, to leave the House because the legislator had spoken something that was out order.
At first, Hara ruled Suleman out of order but the legislator continued to use his microphone.
The Speaker then ordered Suleman to leave the House. The MP, however, refused. Parliamentarians from the government side supported Suleman’s stance saying Malawi Congress Party legislator Richard Chimwendo Banda also refused to leave the house after being kicked out yesterday.
The situation degenerated into chaos and the Speaker called the Sergeant at Arm to remove Suleman from the House but the honourable member remained seated.
After minutes of chaos, the Speaker suspended the House.
The parliamentarians this week have been debating on the 2019/2020 budget which was presented in the House last month.
