Parliament suspended over COVID-19 sitting arrangement squabbles

Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara has abruptly suspended the house following the new sitting arrangement that the house adopted on Friday to be changed and let other MPs sitting outside the chamber to be brought in.

Dowa East lawmaker, Richard Chimwendo Banda, said it is hypocritical for MPs to say they are adopting COVID 19 preventive measures when outside they are holding rallies where thousands gather and COVID 19 preventive measures are not followed.

He then said the house just needed to table the electoral reforms bills and set a date when the poll will be held.

After his remarks, MP for Mulanje Bale Victor Musowa railed at him on the premise that the Covid-19 rules in the house were not supposed to be questioned over matters Banda stated.

Then, leader of house Kondwani Nankhumwa wondered why Banda questioned the rules yet the opposition was also present at the business commitee meeting where all the rules were agreed.

This did not please the opposition benches which then started demanding that all lawmakers be present in the house to set the poll date.

In response,MCP Chief whip Sam Kawale has admitted that MCP was present at the business commitee meeting but disclosed that some of the MCP MPs did not agree with the matter.

For close to an hour, the house has been in disrepute forcing Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara to suspend the deliberations for Business Committe to meet and discuss the matter.

More details to follow..