Government distances itself from the legal proceedings against Speaker Suleman

* The individual who approached the courts has done so independently and in his own capacity

* And his actions should, therefore, not be attributed to the Government or the Executive

By Duncan Mlanjira

Following public debate over the urgent judicial review to stop Speaker Sameer Suleman’s decision to institute joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate several government entities, the Government has issued a statement distancing itself from such legal proceedings.

In a statement from Minister of Information, Shadric Namalomba, says the Government “unequivocally assure Malawians that it has not initiated, directed, sponsored, facilitated or funded these proceedings in any manner whatsoever”.

“The individual [Austin Mkoka] who approached who approached the courts has done so independently and in his own capacity and his actions should, therefore, not be attributed to the Government or the Executive.

“The Government understands the public interest in this matter and wishes to reassure Malawians that it respects the constitutional mandate and independence of Parliament, the office of the Speaker, and the independence of the Judiciary.

“Government remains committed to the rule of law, constitutional governance and the proper functioning of all institutions of our democracy,” says Namalomba.

However, Namalomba earlier described Speaker Suleman as “mbuli” (ignorant, while advising him to read and understand the law governing the powers and responsibilities of the Speaker.

In an audio that’s gone viral on social media, Namalomba, who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson maintained that Suleman does not have the power to constitute parliamentary committees on his own, arguing that such authority belongs to Parliament and not the Speaker personally.

According to Namalomba, the Speaker’s primary responsibility is to moderate parliamentary deliberations and facilitate the business of the National Assembly.

He further warned Suleman to be careful in exercising his authority, saying anyone holding public office should understand where their powers come from.

“Sometimes ignorance is not good,” Namalomba said, who also questioned whether some public officials abuse their authority because they expect to benefit from doing so.