Malawi opposition ends parliament boycott

LILONGWE, May 6 (Reuters) - Malawi's opposition ended a boycott of parliament on Tuesday but the impoverished southern African country still faces further political crisis that threatens to derail international donor programmes.

Opposition lawmakers returned to parliament after a five-day boycott but the speaker came under renewed pressure to resign for not expelling MPs who defected to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which together form a majority in parliament, want to remove the defecting DPP lawmakers under a constitutional provision that bans floor-crossing.

Speaker Louis Chimango's refusal to remove the MPs for three years has led to political uncertainty. The latest dispute may delay debate of the 2008/2009 budget due in three weeks time.

"The speaker is an embarrassment to the party because it is now clear that he is not independent of the executive," MCP president John Tembo told Reuters after parliament was adjourned.

"The president is using him to frustrate the opposition."

Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe fears new political turmoil in one of the continent's poorest countries could threaten crucial international budget aid.

Under President Bingu wa Mutharika, the country of 12 million has won praise and billions of dollars in debt relief for reforms that have steered healthy economic growth.

But political bickering has overshadowed those gains. Wa Mutharika's rule has been troubled since he stepped into office in 2004, after winning an election marred by violent protests and opposition allegations of rigging.

Last year, it took five months for the opposition to agree to the government's $1.2 billion budget for fiscal 2007/08.

They demanded that the floor-crossing dispute be resolved before the budget debate. But pressure from civic groups and farmers prompted a change of heart, and it was passed.

If Chimango bans the defecting MPs, the opposition will have the two-thirds majority needed to impeach wa Mutharika.

Chimango, also a member of the MCP, was expected to decide on Tuesday if he would remove the MPs. But he put off a decision until Wednesday.

Wa Mutharika and his supporters fear the opposition want to sack his MPs, so that they can impeach him.

But his opponents deny they are plotting to remove him, saying they expect to defeat wa Mutharika in next year's general election.