SADC body wants to mediate in Malawi’s budget

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum on Wednesday expressed interest to mediate in the Malawi’s political impasse between government and its opposition which has a parliamentary majority.

Forum Secretary General Kazukwa Mutukwa said his body was willing to take on the challenge of stabilising the political situation that erupted after the two sides failed to discuss this annual national budget in May.

"Although we don’t have a formal mandate to mediate the differences, as a body in a member state, we cannot watch the political stand-off getting worse. We need to move in," he said.

Mutukwa said his group would use the knowledge and experience gained over the years to find a solution to the political crisis.

The crisis started when the government decided to prioritise the budget for discussion, while the opposition wanted to deal with the issue of Section 65 of the constitution.

The article allows the parliament to declare seats of defecting MPs, who “crossed the floor” to the government side, vacant.

But Deputy Minister for Persons with Disability Yunus Mussa, with other 40 MPs, obtained a court injunction restraining the Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango, from declaring the defectors’ vacant – a move that set off the current impasse and opposition anger.

The opposition, which has a majority in parliament, told the government that unless the injunction is vacated, the parliament will not be able to pass the 2006/007 budget.

In the latest development over the issue, President Bingu wa Mutharika has requested the opposition to write him with a proposal for an agenda to discuss the deadlock.

The opposition responded that it was the president who should take the initiative to invite the opposition to the talks.