By Chisomo Phiri
Some Members of Parliament (MPs) in the country have expressed frustration over what they call ‘unreasonable’ demands they get from their constituents.
According to the MPs,the demands range from assisting with opening graveyards, transporting pregnant women to hospitals, and providing food for initiation ceremonies, to financial support for churches during events like Paper Sundays, purchasing coffins, and taking sick individuals to hospitals.
The concerns were raised during an engagement organized by the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) on the Parliamentary Support Program on Tuesday evening.
Despite these grievances, the MPs acknowledged that the support they provide to their constituents is crucial for securing votes during elections.
They admitted that without such assistance, many MPs would struggle to be re-elected.
Among other lawmakers who spoke on the issue were Thyolo South MP Mabvuto Scott, Salima South MP Christopher Manja, and Lilongwe City South MP Francis Belekanyama.
On his part, CSAT’s Executive Director,Willy Kambwandira, encouraged constituents to continue holding their MPs accountable, arguing that MPs make many promises during campaign time.
MP is the person elected by all those who live in a particular area (constituency) to represent them in Parliament where development and other important issues are discussed and come to exist.
