MPs to be sworn in Monday
Newly elected members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to be sworn in next Monday, Clerk of Parliament Roosevelt Gondwe has confirmed.
Gondwe said in an interview this week that the Monday function will be purely for swearing-in and it will be followed by MPs’ orientation expected to take place at the Bingu International Conference Centre (Bicc).
He said: “Swearing-in of new parliamentarians will take place in the [Parliament] chamber from 9am to noon, while the orientation will take place from June 11 to 13.”
With President Peter Mutharika’s Thyolo East Constituency automatically becoming vacant after he took the oath of office as Head of State last Saturday, and parliamentary elections yet to be held in Blantyre North Constituency, only 191 MPs will be sworn in by Chief Justice Anastazia Msosa.
In the new Parliament, there are 52 independent MPs, 49 for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), 48 for Malawi Congress Party (MCP), 26 for People’s Party (PP), 14 for United Democratic Front (UDF) and one each for Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and Chipani Cha Pfuko (CCP).
Joseph Chigona, registrar of the High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, confirmed yesterday that Msosa will preside over the swearing-in ceremony of the 191 members.
Political parties are also expected to submit names of their leaders in the House such as chief whips, deputy chief whips and leaders of the parties in the National Assembly.
UDF secretary general Kandi Padambo said his party is ready and looking forward to fruitful deliberations.
He said: “As United Democratic Party [UDF], we are going to the august House with an open mind. As a party in opposition, we are not going their just to oppose for the sake of opposing.”
On his part, DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said his party is still strategising and would soon come up with the team to represent them in the House.
However, MCP spokes person Jessie Kabwila said her party’s focus will be on ensuring that government is accountable to the people.
So
Will Jessie Kabwila and friends who apparently won seats in these “fraudulent” elections accept to be sworn in? or being the so called upright people that they are not taint their image with such junk.
Is Roosevelt Gondwe clerk of Parliament, since when?