Leader of the opposition in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has lashed out at President Lazarus Chakwera and his MCP government for introducing draconian laws in the county which are against the tenets of democracy that Malawians fought against in 1993.
Nankhumwa who was joined by vocal parliamentarians for Rumphi East, Kamlepo Kalua and Yeremiah Chihana for Mzimba North at a press conference after walking out of Parliament says the opposition believes the Employment Amendment bills have been done in bad faith for Malawians to curtail the Labour Rights for the workers in the county mainly civil servants.
Nankhumwa says they walked out of parliament to be in solidarity with Malawians who are against the bills.
Nankhumwa said he suspects that there is a hidden agenda by government in pushing to have the bill passed.
“We have walked out in solidarity with the people outside there who are protesting the bill. People should know that the opposition is not in support of the bill,” said Nankhumwa.
Meanwhile, vocal lawmaker, Yeremia Chihana says he regrets his support for the Tonse Alliance as it is failing to support Malawians as expected.
Chihana says despite being a member of Tonse administration he will not backtrack on his decision to fight for Malawians.
Taking his turn Kamlepo says MCP government is reminding Malawians of those dark days of autocracy. But kalua has vowed to lead a crusade against the Chakwera and his MCP government.
MP for Thyolo Central, Ben Phiri who earlier received a petition from Malawi Congress of Trade Unions to have the bill suspended, has distanced DPP from the bill. He said DPP abandoned the bill a long time ago after it discovered that the bill was bad.
He said it is the Tonse Alliance government that is bringing the bill and should not accuse DPP of being framers of the bill.
Meanwhile UDF president Atupele Muluzi has condemned MCP for taking Malawians to the dark days.
That’s Mcp for you. Fisi ndi fisi basi olo atasintha tchire lokhala.
The good thing is that people know the motives behind all these draconian laws. Tonse is joking and no one can smile at their foolishness. Its taking people for granted and they think they have won it all and are unstoppable to crush multiparty democracy and bury it for good forgetting the circumstances surrounding the way they rose into power. It was the second and the third popular votes against the first who was wressled power away through the dubious constitution ruling. Playing around human thinking is a very dangerous game because humans are born complex problem solvers.