MCP Rejects Mutharika’s SONA

Malawi Congress Party MCP has refused to comment on the state of national address SONA presented by president Peter Mutharika because they say he is an illegitimate leader.

Standing on point of order in parliament after the speaker recognized UDF leader to comment on the SONA because MCP did not communicate its response on the address one of the MPs of the main opposition party said they were not ready to respond to the statement the party cannot subscribe to.

He said MCP MPs went to parliament on purpose to discuss and approve budget.

However, a female MP on government side wondered why MCP MPs do not recognize the presidential elections results when they approved those of MPs and councillors.

The MCP MP defended themselves saying “the three elections are independent of each other.”

Then leader of UDF in parliament Lilian Patel supported the state of national address.

However, before her support Patel said the courts should deal with the issues haunting this country such as regionalism and tribalism.

“Recent protests should be taken seriously because they were beyond elections,” Patel said

Patel further said the election of female speaker of parliament was a milestone for gender equality in Malawi.

She expressed concern that the president did not mention Makanjira road in Mangochi as one of the roads his government will construct in five years.

Patel stressed the need to construct Makanjira road because it is very important to the country.

Leaders of UTM and PP were not given chance to comment on the statement since the two parties do not have 10 MPs as per law.

Speaking earlier one of the DPP MPs asked fellow MPs to support the SONA as it is significant to Malawi.

Standing on point of order MP for Zomba Changalume John Chikalimba asked the house to accept all comments because the president had said in his address that he was ready to accept any kind of view.

Commenting, one the legal experts Justin Dzonzi said MCP refusal to respond to the SONA does not constitute any unlawful conduct because it is not provided for in the constitution.

Dzonzi who is Executive Director of Justice Link said “SONA is a standard practice which Malawi copied from United States of America and has no legal backing in the country.”