Editors PickNational News

Effective Parliament good for governance—Britain

British High Commissioner Michael Nevin says an effective Parliament able to fulfill its core functions helps countries to be stable and observe governance issues.

Speaking in Lilongwe on Tuesday during a reception organised for members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Scotland Branch, Nevin said there is clearly a demand by Malawians, like their British counterparts, for Parliament to be more effective.

British High Commissioner Michael Nevin
British High Commissioner Michael Nevin

He said: “National and regional assemblies or parliaments represent an entrenchment of the democratic principles that govern Malawi, the UK and much of today’s world. They are the institutional entrenchment of a democratic system.”

Nevin said it is critical for the public and their members of Parliament (MPs) to engage in dialogue to find solutions to their challenges. These include expectations of the citizenry such as whether their MPs should be paying pay for their funeral expenses or education.

He said issues that need to be tackled include the role of Parliament vis-a-vis local councils and councillors, how to strengthen the ability of Parliament to increase transparency and accountability, skills and resources for MPs.

Said Nevin: “A Parliament cannot operate in isolation. There are many other ingredients needed for democracy and parliaments to be effective, such as upholding the rule of law, a political system that encourages transparency and accountability, a true separation of powers and strong civic education.”

He said despite Malawi having a strong history with the UK, it is important that after 50 years of independence it should increasingly stand on its own feet.

Britain is Malawi’s former colonial master and has been one of its major bilateral donors over the years.

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