Speaker Richard Msowoya was on Monday forced to adjourn Parliament earlier than scheduled after opposition members of Parliament (MPs) demanded an explanation on the arrest of son of former Rumphi North MP Tasokwa Msiska.
It later transpired that the son, Chris Msiska, was under arrest in Rumphi in connection with the violence that erupted during his father’s funeral last week where Minister of Information, Tourism and Civic Education Jappie Mhango was chased alongside Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters.
Dowa East MP Richard Chimwendo-Banda (MCP) asked the minister to explain why his constituents were facing arrest.
But the Speaker ruled the MP out of order for not following procedures for bringing issues to Parliament, adding that Mhango, who is Rumphi North MP (DPP), was not a Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security to comment on police matters.
However, the matter refused to die as Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua (People’s Party-PP) joined the calls for an explanation, arguing that the arrest was a national issue involving a member of the House who was also a Cabinet minister.
Lilongwe Msozi South MP Vitus Dzoole-Mwale (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) stood up in support of Kalua, saying: “We cannot let the issue pass without comment. These people were standing the whole day to vote for him and now he is doing this?”
Throughout the points of order, Mhango remained seated and did not react to the allegations from across the floor.
But Msowoya insisted that the MPs should address the query during question time the following day (on Tuesday) if they wanted a response from the minister.
Not pleased with the ruling, opposition MPs shot down a motion for early adjournment by the government side, but when acting leader of House Henry Mussa said the government no longer had business for the day, Msowoya adjourned the House. n
