By Duncan Mlanjira
Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Madalitso Kazombo has deferred former president Peter Mutharika’s communication to the august House indicating that Francis Kasaila should replace Kondwani Nankhumwa as Leader of the Opposition.
Reports indicate that when Kazombo made the announcement from Mutharika that Kasaila should be declared as Leader of the Opposition, MP from Mulanje West Yusuf Mthenda stood on a point of order reminding the House that Mutharika does not have powers to elect who to be a Leader of Opposition but rather the DPP MPs who do so.
Francis Kasaila
Mthenda disclosed that the DPP MPs did not sit down to nominate the members that should be elected as Leader of Opposition, citing Parliamentary Standing Orders.
The Orders say that whenever it is necessary for the Assembly to elect Leader of Opposition, whether after a general election or when a vacancy in that office has occurred in any other way, the procedure for election shall be provided.
“Subject to sub-rule (3), any member of the opposition side of the Assembly, may nominate another Member of the Opposition for the position of the Leader of the Opposition,” say the Standing Orders.
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“A proposal made under sub-rule (2) shall be seconded by another Member of the Opposition [and] the Speaker shall allow nominations not exceeding four for the position of the Leader of the Opposition.”
The Orders says voting shall be by secret ballot and that every member present in the Assembly shall indicate on a ballot paper to be supplied by the Clerk [of Parliament], the name of the proposed person whom he or she desires to be Leader of the Opposition.
“The member shall deposit his or her ballot paper in the ballot box at the Clerk’s table in such a manner as not to disclose for whom he or she is voting.
“When all ballot papers of members desiring to vote have been deposited in the ballot box, the Clerk shall count the votes in the presence of at least one member designated as a monitor for each candidate nominated for the position of the Leader of the Opposition.”
Following the arguments presented by MP Mthenda, the Deputy Speaker deferred Mutharika’s decision communication and that the Leader of the Opposition remains Nankhumwa.
The Deputy Speaker asked the DPP MPs to go back to their drawing table and come up with a name.
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