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| National |
| National Assembly mourns Chihana |
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by
Zainah Liwanda, 16 June 2006
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06:16:58
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Parliament on Thursday went on one-day recess to mourn Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president Chakufwa Chihana who died on Monday at Garden City Clinic in South Africa after undergoing a brain operation.
The House, which was supposed to resume sitting yesterday afternoon after the Freedom Day holiday break on Wednesday, decided to dedicate the entire day to mourning Chihana, who until his death was MP for Rumphi Central.
First Deputy Speaker Esther Chilenje said Parliament decided to devote the whole day, and that business would resume this (Friday) morning.
She said Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe is expected to present the 2006/07 budget this afternoon.
“We have decided to dedicate the day to mourning honourable Chihana. However, business resumes tomorrow [today] in the morning. At 2 pm the Minister of Finance will present the budget,” said Chilenje.
Chihana is expected to be laid to rest at Katoto in the Northern Region on Saturday (tomorrow) after government rejected a proposal to have him buried at the “Heroes Acre” in Lilongwe, arguing the place has not yet been officially declared so.
Government announced that Chihana would be accorded a state funeral in recognition of his contribution to the birth of multiparty politics in the country.
Apart from being Aford leader, Chihana was also the country’s Second Vice-President twice during the Bakili Muluzi regime.
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