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| National |
| Government returns to Parliament |
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by
George Kasakula, 24 October 2005
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08:03:47
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Government MPs will Monday afternoon attend Parliament after walking out on Speaker Louis Chimango on Friday morning.
The MPs left the chamber after Chimango started verifying signatures of opposition parliamentarians who signed the indictment motion for President Bingu wa Mutharika. The motion was filed by Mangochi Malombe MP Maxwell Milanzie (UDF).
Leader of government business in the House Henry Chimunthu Banda said Sunday their walking out was not indefinite.
“People have been calling to know whether government will be in the House tomorrow. We are going back. Our protest was on a particular issue. We were objecting to what the Speaker did in calling out names of MPs authenticating those who signed the motion. We thought that was going into the body of the motion and not only announcing. We did not want to dignify a flawed process,” said Chimunthu Banda.
He said by verifying the names behind the motion, the Speaker violated the order paper which had government bills for that day lined up and not the indictment motion.
Asked if the government would walk out again if the motion is brought up in the House, Chimunthu Banda said:“ That cannot happen because it has been overtaken by events. The matter is in court.”
He was referring to the High Court order Karonga Nyungwe MP Richard Msowoya obtained in Lilongwe restraining the National Assembly from going ahead with the indictment of Mutharika until the impeachment procedures were reviewed in court.
Efforts to solicit Chimango’s views on the matter were futile as his phone was constantly on voicemail mode.
On Thursday the Public Affairs Committee (Pac) instructed its lawyers to challenge the constitutionality of impeachment procedures Parliament approved earlier in the day.
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