Bingu orders parliament to reconvene

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered the National Assembly to reconvene on Monday, August 6, to start debate on the national budget, Presidential press officer has said.

Mutharika through his press officer, Chikumbutso Mtumodzi told national broadcaster that the President has summoned parliament for budget session on Monday.

The President’s decision comes amidst desperate attempt by government to push the opposition controlled House to pass the budget aside of their demands to implement constitution requirement to have defectors expelled.

Friday Jumbe, United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson on budget and finance, says his party has no problem to approve the budget.

“The budget would be passed, it is only acceptable for government to spend in line with constitutional authority,” said Jumbe, who served as Finance Minister for two years in former government.

Raspicious Dzanjalimozi, shadow finance minister in the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), also says it is only legal to have parliament authorise government spending, assuring that budget would be authorised when House meet.

“What government ought to do is to come back to parliament, and ask for financing. And according to the constitution, we can provide financing for a total of four months. So what this means is that there is an additional three months still that can be authorized by parliament,” Dzanjalimodzi told Voice of America.

However, President Mutharika wants government purse keeper, Goodall Gondwe to ask for an approval for total annual financial resolution.

Gondwe told journalists, that government would go ahead with public spending, especially in essential services, despite the absence of the Appropriation Act.

"The hospitals, the schools, the security services, the fertilizer subsidy programme will continue without disruptions and government asks all public servants to report to work as usual," Gondwe, former director at International Monetary Fund (IMF) said to the media.

But former government top prosecutor now in private legal practise, Fahad Assani, says it is “illegal” for finance minister to spend in the absence of legitimate authorisation from parliament.

"The constitution clearly prohibits withdrawing public funds without authority from the National Assembly," Assani pointed out.

Parliament was suspended when MCP and UDF rejected to debate the budget, demanding the Speaker to expel their former lawmakers, who were poached by Mutharika to his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Mutharika was a pioneer defector after ditching UDF, the party that successful supported his presidential candidacy in 2004. His first attempt to the presidency in 1999 on now defunct United Party was manifestly miserable.