Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava Mary Navitcha has alleged that Parliament was suspended this morning to allow Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Members of Parliament (MPs) to attend a party event.
Deputy speaker of Parliament Madalitso Kazombo suspended deliberations this morning saying there was a technical fault with the public address system in the chamber and technicians needed to work on the system.
“We have a technical problem because whatever we are debating is not being recorded in the Hansard and as a matter of protocol we are supposed to recording everything that we debate here. We are going to have an early health break and when the problem is rectified you will be informed. House suspended,” said Kazombo.
After the suspension, MCP MPs were seen rushing to MCP headquarters where the party is holding elections for a regional chairperson for the party women’s league in the centre.
Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava, Mary Navitcha of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, has claimed that the public address system was working perfectly and the deputy speaker was misled.
She claimed that MCP MPs lied about the fault in order to participate in regional party elections.
“The communication about the faulty system was a lie. The system is okay but the MCP wanted to allow its members to go and vote,” she said.
She described the MCP’s conduct as disappointing saying taxpayers are pouring their money into Parliament and the MPs should not be wasting time.
