Malawi Freedom Network 
By Suleman Chitera
Political observers say ruling party risks damaging its own image by confronting Speaker instead of respecting parliamentary oversight
LILONGWE — A political storm is gathering around Parliament after analysts George Phiri and Chimwemwe Tsitsi warned the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) against what they see as an attempt to undermine the Office of the Speaker.
The analysts have urged the governing party to step back from its public confrontation with National Assembly Speaker Sameer Suleman, insisting that Parliament cannot effectively hold the Executive accountable if its leadership is subjected to political pressure whenever it raises uncomfortable national issues.
Their comments follow a statement issued by the DPP yesterday attacking Suleman over his address delivered on Wednesday.
For Tsitsi, the issue is bigger than the Speaker himself.
He said Suleman is performing one of Parliament’s fundamental responsibilities—providing oversight over the Executive—and the ruling party should not interpret parliamentary scrutiny as an attack on government.
Tsitsi urged the DPP to respect the constitutional responsibilities attached to the Office of the Speaker rather than publicly attacking Suleman for carrying out his duties.
The message from the analyst is blunt: Parliament must be allowed to question power.
Phiri has also warned that the DPP could be walking into a political trap by choosing confrontation with the Speaker.
He said publicly attacking the Office of the Speaker could hurt the ruling party’s credibility and create the perception that the party is uncomfortable with scrutiny.
According to Phiri, the DPP had other avenues available if it genuinely disagreed with Suleman’s remarks.
Instead of taking the dispute into the public domain, he said, the party could have engaged the Speaker privately and sought clarification.
A Bigger Battle Over Accountability
The controversy has now moved beyond the words contained in Suleman’s Wednesday address and into a much larger debate about the independence of Parliament and the limits of political influence over state institutions.
At the heart of the argument is a question that could define the current political climate: Can Parliament truly hold the Executive accountable if the ruling party reacts angrily whenever the Speaker speaks?
For supporters of parliamentary independence, the answer is clear.
They argue that the Speaker’s responsibility is not simply to protect the interests of the government of the day, but to safeguard the integrity of Parliament and ensure that national issues receive scrutiny.
That means uncomfortable questions must sometimes be asked—and powerful people must sometimes be challenged.
The analysts’ warning therefore places the DPP under a political spotlight of its own.
Rather than weakening the Speaker through public attacks, Phiri and Tsitsi suggest that the ruling party risks turning the controversy into a much larger debate about democratic accountability.
‘Respect the Institution’
The analysts’ intervention is also a reminder that political parties come and go, but state institutions must endure.
A ruling party may control government today and sit in opposition tomorrow. Parliament, however, remains a permanent pillar of the democratic system.
The emerging dispute has consequently sparked questions about whether political disagreements should be allowed to spill over into institutional battles.
For critics of the DPP’s position, publicly confronting the Speaker could send the wrong message at a time when Malawians are demanding greater transparency, stronger checks and balances and leaders who can tolerate scrutiny.
The political temperature is now rising, and the country will be watching closely to see whether the DPP escalates its confrontation with Suleman or chooses dialogue.
But the analysts’ central warning remains unmistakable:
When Parliament speaks, government must listen. And when the Speaker asks difficult questions, political disagreement should never become an excuse to silence parliamentary oversight.
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