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| National |
| Naura asks Speaker to overlook Maulidi |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 09 July 2003
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17:48:24
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Phalombe North East MP Gresham Naura has warned Deputy UDF secretary general Paul Maulidi he risks contempt of court charges if he goes ahead to ask the Speaker to declare his seat vacant on grounds that he has crossed the floor by his membership of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Naura has also asked Speaker Davis Katsonga to ignore Maulidi’s letter “as it was written in bad faith in that it is requesting you to disobey the existing court order of injunction that stops declaring seats of MPs that belong to the NDA vacant”.
In a July 8, 2003 letter to Katsonga, Naura has also warned Maulidi to withdraw his letter immediately, or he would be compelled to invoke court action against him, Attorney General and the UDF “to ensure obedience and compliance of court orders”.
Naura argues that Maulidi’s action is tantamount to contempt of court, as a court injunction obtained under Civil Cause no 3140 of 2001 putting on hold the expulsion of all members of parliament belonging to NDA has not been lifted..
Former Speaker Sam Mpasu expelled Naura, Brown Mpinganjira (Mulanje Central), Lizzie Mpinganjira (Mulanje South West), Peter Chupa (Blantyre City Central) and James Makhumula (Zomba Nsondole) for belonging to NDA, then as a pressure group, again through a complaint from Maulidi.
The five MPs, together with Nsanje North MP Gwanda Chakuamba (MCP) and Lilongwe South East MP Hetherwick Ntaba (MCP) also kicked out for belonging to the defunct MCP/Aford Alliance, obtained a court order challenging their expulsion.
A judicial review is yet to take place two years down the line.
“It should be appreciated that I, along with my colleagues in NDA, were expelled from the UDF early January 2001. As expelled MPs, we have a constitutional right and we are free to form or join any party of our choice,” said Naura in the letter copied to Maulidi himself.
He argued that the registration of NDA into a party last week (after operating as a pressure group for two and a half years) has not changed its original aims and objectives “but merely to comply with the Political Parties (Registration and Regulation) Act”.
“ The UDF has therefore no right to curtail our political activities after the UDF expelled us from the UDF party,” says Naura.
He points out that the legislature should reflect in its deliberations the interest of all people of Malawi and that it should further the values explicit and implicit in the constitution of Malawi.
“Section 65 is being selectively applied where UDF and Aford members are voluntarily working in alliance and their parties have openly declared their alliance, but cannot be touched,” complains Naura, asking Katsonga not to apply discrimination in the House.
Katsonga said in an interview on Wednesday he had not yet received the letter, but added: “But even if I received it, the Clerk of Parliament, who is the secretary to the National Assembly, is the one who answers on such this things.”
Clerk of Parliament Roosevelt Gondwe was reported to be away from his office.
During the last sitting of Parliament, Katsonga threw out a complaint from Karonga North West MP Green Mwamondwe that seats for Aford MPs working in government be declared vacant, saying Mwamondwe, being an independent MP, did not have any legitimate interest in Aford matters. |
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