Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Blantyre City South East constituency, Sameer Suleman, has claimed that the Malawi government, through the Parliament, blew up K1 billion to campaign for Speaker of Parliament, Catherine Gotani-Hara, who was vying for the Inter-Parliamentary Union Presidential Seat in October last year.
Speaking in an interview with Times Television, Suleman alleged that there is one Member of Parliament elected into Parliament under the DPP ticket, working with the government and that he has more powers than two deputy Speakers of Parliament.
He has assured Malawians that he will expose how this huge amount was wasted by the government just to campaign for Hara, who is also eyeing a position in MCP’s National Executive Council during the Annual General Meeting next year.
He said Gotani Hara, joined by other MPs in a group, traveled to ten countries in Africa for a campaign despite advice from Chakwera to let Tanzania’s, Dr. Tulia Ackson vy for the position because of a cordial relationship between the two countries. Eventually, Hara lost by 172 votes to 33.
“Over K1 billion was blown off for Hara’s campaign with no budget and parliamentary vote, a development which is very sad and I cannot support this even if I was in government,” said Suleman.
The parliamentarian has also claimed that out of the 193 members in the house, some are being funded by Parliament to go on international trips more frequently than others, claiming that he has, for four years, not been funded by Parliament for any international trip abroad.
He has challenged the media to verify his claims by investigating Parliament on how much money was spent on Hara’s campaign. He has vowed to continue providing checks and balances to the current ruling party.
Suleman has won the hearts of Malawians and if he had been appointed by his party to be Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera would have been a good leader running the country in the interest of all.
