By Burnett Munthali
Malawi’s Parliament will soon see lawmakers debating in languages more familiar to the public, as calls grow for local languages to be allowed during proceedings in the National Assembly.
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has backed the proposal, saying allowing Members of Parliament (MPs) to use local languages can make parliamentary debates easier for ordinary Malawians to follow.
CDEDI Executive Director (ED) Sylvester Namiwa made the remarks after the organisation engaged Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee on Monday as part of consultations on the proposed change.
Namiwa: We want use of local languages in Parliament
Namiwa said the public’s interest in the use of Chichewa during the ongoing Chikangawa plane crash inquiry demonstrates that many Malawians are able to follow and engage more closely with proceedings when discussions are conducted in a language widely understood by the public.
He said allowing local languages in parliamentary debates also enable lawmakers to express themselves more clearly and confidently, particularly when discussing issues affecting their constituents.
The proposal is currently being examined by Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, which is assessing its legal, procedural and institutional implications.
The committee has been consulting various stakeholders on how the proposed system could be introduced while maintaining the effective conduct and official records of parliamentary business.
Among the stakeholders engaged by the committee are CDEDI, the Lost History Foundation, officials from the University of Malawi (UNIMA) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
On his part,Vice-chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee Gift Nankhuni said the committee will continue consulting stakeholders before presenting the matter to Parliament’s plenary for consideration.
