Legal expert Benedicto Kondowe has called on the Judiciary to intervene in the controversy surrounding President Peter Mutharika’s decision to suspend parliamentary proceedings.
Kondowe says there is a need to review the law governing how meetings of Parliament are convened and conducted to avoid further disputes over the powers of the President and the Speaker.
He made the remarks during Times Radio’s Kulinji programme while commenting on the ongoing debate following Mutharika’s recent decision to suspend parliamentary proceedings.
The suspension was reportedly intended to give government time to address challenges linked to El Niño and persistent fuel shortages in the country.
The decision has sparked disagreement among legal experts, with Malawi Law Society president arguing that the President has no constitutional powers to suspend parliamentary proceedings.
However, Attorney General Frank Mbeta has defended Mutharika’s decision, with both sides basing their arguments on Section 59(1) of the Constitution.
The provision states that Parliament shall meet at times appointed by the Speaker in consultation with the President, a clause that has become central to the legal debate over who has the authority to determine when Parliament meets.
