|
|
|
|
| National |
| Bingu, Parliament to share State House |
|
by
Joseph Langa, 26 November 2004
-
11:26:21
|
Leader of the House Yusuf Mwawa said on Thursday President Bingu wa Mutharika will share the New State House with the National Assembly until a new chamber is constructed.
Mwawa said a special arrangement would be made even after Mutharika has occupied the house to allow the members of Parliament to use it as well.
“There will be some internal arrangement to accommodate the National Assembly and the State House in the same building until the new chamber is completed,” Mwawa said.
Last week Ministry of Gender and Plan Malawi failed to host this year’s children’s Parliament because they were told that there was no chamber to use since the state house was under renovations.
But Mwawa said Parliament will be meeting early next year to discuss money bills and they will use the same chamber they have been using although renovations have already started.
Parliament offices moved out of the New State House in January and are currently housed in Chief M’mbelwa building in Lilongwe where there is no chamber.
Meanwhile, several members of staff who were left behind at the New State House when Parliament moved out in September are still jobless because State House is refusing to accept them until a proper explanation is given on why they are being dumped.
State House chief of staff Ken Ng’oma said in an interview the 130 members of staff, mainly maintenance workers and support staff, will not be allowed to join State House until the matter is discussed with Parliament.
The concerned workers were inherited by Parliament when it occupied the New State House from Zomba.
“They want us to take over. Why dump them when they will soon have their own building,” wondered Ng’oma.
“We have not yet accepted [the workers]. We need to sit down and discuss. They wrote us last week and I have written them back”.
Efforts to seek comment from Clerk of Parliament Roosevelt Gondwe, on whether the concerned employees are still on his payroll, proved futile as his phone was out of reach.
Ng’oma said they are not on his payroll.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
