Malawi Speaker Sameer Suleman faces scrutiny over committee authority

A constitutional dispute has emerged in Malawi regarding the authority of Speaker of Parliament Sameer Suleman to establish ad hoc joint parliamentary committees.

Critics and government officials argue that the Speaker acted unilaterally, which they claim violates Section 56(6) of the Constitution. According to a government statement, the power to establish such committees is vested in Parliament as a whole rather than the Speaker alone. This has led to calls for the impeachment of the Speaker to protect the separation of powers and constitutional integrity.

In contrast, United Democratic Front (UDF) President Atupele Muluzi has defended the Speaker. Muluzi argues that the dispute is about protecting Parliament’s constitutional mandate to scrutinize government institutions and manage public resources. He maintains that Parliament must remain an independent arm of government and should not be intimidated or reduced to an extension of the Executive.