The Economic Freedom Movement (EFM) has come out in support of Speaker of the National Assembly, Sameer Suleman, following criticism the organisation says is being directed at him by some of his fellow Members of Parliament.
In a statement, the EFM President, Willie Precious Chikopa said the Speaker was being accused after acting on petitions brought to him regarding the operations of certain government departments, statutory corporations and other government agencies. The organisation said the petitions required Suleman to consult through the formation of joint parliamentary committees to investigate and establish facts on matters of national concern.
“The leadership and entire membership of the Economic Freedom Movement, together with most Malawians, are dismayed by the current turn of events,” the organisation said, adding that the criticism appeared to come mainly from within the Speaker’s own party structures.
The EFM argued that the attacks on Suleman amount to an attempt to weaken his authority to provide checks and balances in Parliament, claiming he had already been labelled “illiterate” by critics. The organisation said such conduct risks allowing corruption and wrongdoing to go unchecked, and could contribute to a decline in the country’s social sectors.
The organisation, which says it champions equal opportunity in youth and women’s economic empowerment, called on government bodies that view the Speaker’s actions as improper to reconsider their position. It said a closer look would reveal a range of governance issues it believes are undermining the economy and driving the country toward further hardship.
The EFM said it believes government should have commended Suleman for pushing to uncover suspected problems within government institutions, rather than allow the criticism to continue.
The Economic Freedom Movement’s claims have not been independently verified, and neither the Speaker’s office nor the MPs referenced in the statement have publicly responded at the time of this report.
