National News

Parliament to meet in April

Members of Parliament
Members of Parliament

Due to lack of funds, the final meeting of Parliament will only be convened in April, long after its constitutional dissolution on March 20, Leader of the House Henry Phoya said yesterday.

The delay will effectively affect conclusion of the forensic audits into the plunder of taxpayers’ resources at Capital Hill.

The business committee of Parliament met on Tuesday and Friday last week to discuss the way forward on the meeting of Parliament, which had been expected end-January or early February for the midterm budget review and tabling of the preliminary forensic audit report covering the period April to September 2013 due out on February 14.

A member of the business committee who opted for anonymity said the first meeting held on Tuesday was inconclusive because the opposition demanded answers on the delay to convene Parliament.

“They are coming up with one excuse after another. First, they said there was no money, then they are waiting for the forensic report which has delayed and now they tell us there is a loan from the World Bank which Parliament has to approve. Which is which?” queried the MP.

A meeting of the World Bank directors to discuss a loan from Malawi is scheduled for March 27 and this will further delay the meeting of Parliament.

But Phoya said there was no suspicion about the actions government had taken and the business committee was conclusive on determining when Parliament would meet for the final time before a new one is sworn in after May 20 elections.

He confirmed that government did not have adequate funding for two Parliament meetings, midterm and another that would be convened to discuss an important loan authorisation bill after the dissolution.

He did not, however, disclose the loan that government was seeking from the World Bank, just saying it was ‘the usual’.

Section 67 of the Constitution states that Parliament stands dissolved on March 20, four weeks before polling day, but the President has power to call for an extraordinary meeting in the event of a constitutional crisis or emergency.

Meanwhile, government has come up with a revised budget which is currently being implemented without the approval of Parliament..

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3 Comments

  1. Only in Malawi. Budget not approved by Parliament? How are they drawing the funds??? why dParliament not meet to consider the budget?

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