Nothing— not even the Malawi Electoral Commission’s announcement that so-and-so has won a parliamentary seat in such a constituency— prepares the voter for lawmakers’ behaviour once they start serving their term.
It is as if once an individual gets into the Parliament Building in Lilongwe, the ceiling of restraint tumbles to the ground.
Such is the extent of the problem that, over the years, the Malawian voter has become accustomed to shouts that go like “asasamba inu”, “agalu inu”, “idzo” and such other dishonourable utterances.
Just that they are not mere utterances; for they are not made in the private chamber of one’s mind but, rather, in the august House, where those that engrave words into the Hansard are ever attentive to put them on record.
Believe it or not, the “asasamba inu”, “agalu inu”, “idzo”, “ng’oo” and such other words have been uttered in Parliament in what has become known as Malawi’s democratic dispensation.
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But, then, what are utterances? Mere utterances?
Of course, nothing – especially when compared to instances when legislators have nearly exchanged blows, the recent case being this year, when lawmakers met for the Budget Session of Parliament.
What has become known as the 2024-25 national budget is, in fact, the child of healthy debate and anarchy that marred parliamentary deliberations. That is, both in the chamber and during the Committee of Supply stage.
The Malawi Parliament must be a house of ironies.
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Whatever transpired though, the conspicuous victim of circumstances has been Sameer Suleman, who is now in the news after being dropped from a meeting he has a right to be in.
This is because the Committee of Chairpersons of Parliament has revealed that it has left the chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture out of its quarterly meeting for chairpersons of parliamentary committees.
Apparently, Suleman’s name has not appeared on the list of committee chairpersons who have been invited to the meeting, which is expected to take place tomorrow.
The Daily Times has reported that, instead of being part of the meeting, it is deputy chairperson for the committee, Ulemu Chilapondwa, who will be there.
In fact, Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee for Chairpersons Joyce Chitsulo has confirmed that Suleman has not been included on the list as he was banned from attending parliamentary proceedings.
Chitsulo said this is because Suleman is facing punishment served from the dish of Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Adams in April this year. The ban was imposed during parliamentary proceedings.
“We are following the rules; the ruling was for quarterly meetings and one full sitting of Parliament, which means he will start taking part in the second quarterly meetings and other sittings of Parliament, and we can’t say we have sidelined him,” Chitsulo said.
She added that the committee is well-represented by the vice chairperson Chilapondwa and that there is nothing for Malawians to worry about.
A recap of what transpired during the parliamentary sitting in April this year could put things in context.
What happened is that the Second Deputy Speaker banned Suleman for confronting fellow Member of Parliament Mark Botoman.
Adams is on record to have said: “Before I suspended the [august] House, everyone saw what happened and I did give punishment to two honourable members and, after checking my records, I have revised my punishment for Honourable Suleman because our records show that this is the third time Honourable Suleman is attacking people in this House. Therefore, the punishment has been revised to one full sitting.”
But Suleman is not one to let things be. As such, he has argued that the ban was not extended to parliamentary committee meetings and other events.
He has, therefore, played the “surprise” card.
“I am surprised that instead of being invited as the chairperson, I have been replaced by my deputy and I cannot allow this to continue happening. I am seeking advice from various quarters on what I can do next,” Suleman said.
Suleman added that he talked to the Clerk of Parliament Fiona Kalemba, who alerted him that his punishment was revisited and extended to parliamentary committee meetings.
Whatever the case, voters understand that Suleman was banned after he nearly got into a physical fight with Zomba Chisi legislator Botoman.
People also know that Dedza Central East legislator Joshua Malango brought a motion to Parliament, in which he indicated that he wanted to set in motion impeachment procedures for Suleman, who he [Malango] no longer wanted to be chairing the Agriculture Committee, citing misconduct in the House.
It took Richard Chimwendo Banda, who is the Leader of the House, to bring sanity to warring ‘parties’ when he discussed the matter with opposition members.
For now, the status quo is that Suleman will not attend tomorrow’s meeting.
However, it is not the first time confusion has marred parliamentary deliberations, which begs the question: Why only Suleman?
Maybe because he beat his drum louder than the others before him.
But, then, Parliament is not short of such drums, such that it may not be long before some lawmaker beats their drum even louder. After all, that is the Malawi Parliament— which is basically a house of ironies.
