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| Opinion |
| Editorial |
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by
Editor, 09 November 2006
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05:46:04
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Opposition should hold its breath
Not surprisingly, opposition parties are over the moon with Tuesday’s Constitutional Court interpretation that Section 65 of the Constitution—which regulates crossing of the floor among parliamentarians—is not inconsistent with other provisions in the supreme law.
Effectively, the opinion expressed by the court means that those MPs, mostly on the government benches, who left their original status—independent or other parties—to work with President Bingu wa Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party, would lose their seats should the Speaker act on petitions by the Malawi Congress Party and the United Democratic Front.
Some opposition figures have called the situation a constitutional crisis and are urging Speaker Louis Chimango to summon Parliament immediately.
We disagree with this line of thinking and say at the moment there is no constitutional crisis. There will only be a crisis in January 2007, should efforts by the aggrieved parties to appeal against Tuesday’s determination hit a blank wall. At that time the Speaker will make a ruling that will dismiss the affected MPs.
The decision to have a meeting of the National Assembly in January was communicated to MPs earlier by the Speaker’s office and that time there were no objections. We believe those reasons are still valid and there is no need to rush things. Hurry hurry is not a speed and the opposition should hold its breath until their time comes. |
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