Civil rights groups have not taken kindly to a motion which Member of Parliament (MP) for Chitipa South Werani Chilenga wants to move in the House, proposing that ex-MPs should be given a monthly salary for the rest of their lives.
In his notice of a Private Member’s Motion, dated August 1 2023, the MP wants Parliament to resolve that ex-MPs should be receiving a monthly salary at half the amount they were getting at the time of getting out of their position.
It reads: “The Honourable Member for Chitipa South gives notice under Standing Order 74 of his intention to move the following Motion:
“That considering the important service that a Member of Parliament offers to this nation during his/her tenure of office and noting that all Presiding Officers are entitled to some kind of a pension after leaving office, concerned with the lack of any pension arrangement for an ex-MP, this House resolves that ex- MPs should be receiving, on a monthly basis, half of the salary at which they exited for the rest of their lives,” the notice reads.
But civil rights groups have expressed dismay with the notice, with Human Rights Defenders Coalition Chairperson Gift Trapence labeling the motion as “inconsiderate” at a time Malawi is facing numerous challenges.
“Malawians are suffering. Instead of Parliament prioritising issues that will help the government bail Malawians out of the economic meltdown, they are thinking about money. Parliament is supposed to focus on fuel crisis discussions and discussions on how Malawi can achieve food security.
“Malawians are failing to buy maize in Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation markets because the depots are not operating. These are the issues to prioritise other than their own interests. Where is the government going to get this money from when the economy is in crisis,” Trapence said.
Consumers Association of Malawi Executive Director John Kapito concurred, saying it is high time lawmakers started thinking about the general good instead of advancing their own interests.
“I do not understand how some members of Parliament think,” Kapito said.
On his part, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira described the move as ill-timed.
“Therefore, should Parliament proceed with this motion, we are ready to challenge it in court. This is being insensitive to the suffering of citizens. This type of thinking only confirms that we have some MPs in Parliament who are not advancing the interests of Malawians but, rather, their own interests,” Kambwandira said.
Weighing in on the issue, political analyst George Phiri said, if the reports are true, then the move is “very unfortunate”.
“If a Member of Parliament has lost a seat, it means people in his or her constituency no longer want him. In most cases, it means that the MP failed to deliver. So giving a free salary to an individual who was rejected by constituents sounds awkward somehow,” Phiri said.
Another political analyst Ernest Thindwa said the motion has no regard for the country’s struggling economy.
Thindwa said it is unfortunate that some MPs want more on top of the benefits they get while serving as MP.
At the moment, an MP gets a full package of about K5 million and, if Chilenga’s proposal is successful, ex-MPs would be getting over K2 million per month.
However, responding to a question from Times Talk host Brian Banda on Times Radio yesterday, Chilenga said: “Nkhani imeneyo siyoona. Ndi pa Order Paper pomwe palibe [it is not true that I intend to move a motion to that effect. That so-called motion is not even on the Order Paper of the House].”
