By Vincent Gunde
Political activist Bon Kalindo has called on Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara to resign for bringing the country to a standstill taking orders from President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda on the issue of Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Kalindo observes that Gotani-Hara told Parliament last Friday that DPP followed all the laws to appoint its Leader of Opposition in Parliament Mary Thom Navicha and come Monday, she recognized Dr. Kondwani Nankhumwa as Leader of Opposition basing on the court injunction he obtained in 2022.
He says he find it strange that Gotani-Hara told Parliament that her hands are tied by the courts-an institution which is another Arm of government meaning that Parliament is not an independent institution in Malawi.
Speaking through an audio clip circulating in various social media platforms, Kalindo has appealed to AFORD MPs and all patriotic MPs in Parliament to join DPP MPs to evoke Parliamentary Standing Order 105 to Gotani-Hara for promoting party interest as Speaker of Parliament.
‘’ MCP is doing all of its best through the Speaker of Parliament to put the country on a standstill demanding all Malawians to join the war for the country not to go back to one-party state and dictatorship,” says Kalindo.
Speaking on Tuesday in Parliament on a point of order amid noisy on the government side to block him from speaking, Rumphi East legislator Kamlepo Kalua, said Parliament is governed by the Republican Constitution quoting Sections 4,5,6,7,8 and section 66 of the National Assembly on the management of the House.
‘’How do we transact parliamentary business in the House without the official opposition party which is the DPP?” questioned Kalua.
He called for the House to be suspended for the court to finalize the issue of Leader of Opposition in Parliament advising Parliament not to tolerate mediocrity, anarchy and undemocratic tendency reminding all that he fought for freedom and democracy in Malawi.
On Monday morning, reports circulating in various social media platforms were indicating that 33 DPP MPs have written Speaker of Parliament to allocate them seats on the independent back benches joining embattled Leader of Opposition Dr. Kondwani Nankhumwa.
On Tuesday, only 9 DPP MPs were seen sitting on the side of Nankhumwa in Parliament putting to rest all the speculations that many DPP MPs are following and standing together with Nankhumwa as their Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
