MPs take Speaker to task over vote

Opposition members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday took First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka-Chilenje to task to explain why Thursday’s Order Paper did not prioritise the K193 804 612 693 National Local Government Finance Committee Vote the House deferred on Tuesday.

Instead of appearing on top of the Order Paper as the legislators expected, the item was listed below items the MPs felt should have come at the end of the day’s business.

Lilongwe Msozi South MP Vitus Dzoole Mwale (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) said money should have been deducted from the other votes on the Order Paper to add to National Local Government Vote.

“We deferred Vote 121 with the hope that we could get money from these votes you want us to pass first. So, if we do this, where will the money we are asking to be included in this vote come from?” he said.

In response, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe informed the House that they needed to follow the Order Paper of the day. n