Suleman Chitera 
By Suleman Chitera
10 September 2026
LILONGWE — Malawi’s Parliament is pushing for a stronger institutional partnership with the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, in a move that could significantly strengthen the legislature’s capacity to scrutinise government and hold public institutions to account.
Speaker of Parliament, Right Honourable Sameer Suleman, made the position clear on Wednesday when he met British High Commissioner to Malawi Leigh Stubblefield at Parliament Building in Lilongwe.
The message from Suleman was direct: Parliament must become stronger, better equipped and more effective in carrying out its constitutional oversight responsibilities.
Suleman said closer ties with the UK House of Commons would allow Malawian legislators and parliamentary staff to exchange experiences, learn from established parliamentary practices and improve their professional capacity.
He disclosed that Malawi has asked the British Government to facilitate closer links with the UK House of Commons, including the possible establishment of a parliamentary friendship group.
“Our Parliaments should always be in touch, sharing ideas and experiences, but also assisting us in capacity building,” Suleman said.
A Stronger Parliament Means Stronger Accountability
The proposed partnership comes at a politically sensitive moment when Parliament’s oversight role is attracting increasing public attention.
At the heart of the issue is a fundamental democratic question: Who watches those entrusted with running the country and managing public resources?
That responsibility rests heavily with Parliament.
A Parliament with adequately trained committees, technically competent staff and access to stronger institutional expertise is better positioned to interrogate government decisions, examine public expenditure and demand answers from public institutions.
Suleman’s push for stronger cooperation with the UK Parliament therefore goes beyond diplomatic relations.
It is about strengthening the machinery through which elected representatives can speak for, and act on behalf of, the people.
UK Ready to Support Malawi Parliament
British High Commissioner Stubblefield indicated that Britain is prepared to support Malawi’s Parliament in strengthening its oversight functions.
She said the UK wants to understand how Parliament is currently discharging its oversight mandate and identify areas where British assistance could have the greatest impact.
According to Stubblefield, the proposed support will particularly focus on training and capacity building for parliamentary staff and committees.
“There are many areas of cooperation that we intend to support Parliament of Malawi, especially on training and capacity building of staff and Committees,” she said.
The commitment could prove important for parliamentary committees, which often carry the frontline responsibility of examining government programmes, questioning officials and investigating issues affecting the public interest.
Suleman’s Oversight Message
For Suleman, strengthening Parliament is not simply about improving procedures inside Parliament Building.
It is about ensuring that the legislature has the institutional strength to perform its role without compromising its responsibility to the Malawian people.
The proposed friendship group with the UK House of Commons could provide a formal platform for lawmakers to share experiences, while training and technical support could strengthen the ability of committees and parliamentary staff to conduct their work.
The bigger political significance is clear.
A Parliament that is properly equipped to ask difficult questions is a Parliament better positioned to protect the public interest.
As Malawi seeks to deepen democratic institutions, the proposed UK-Malawi parliamentary partnership could therefore become an important test of whether capacity building can translate into more effective oversight, greater accountability and stronger protection of public resources.
For Suleman, the direction is increasingly clear: Parliament must not merely debate national problems—it must have the capacity and institutional strength to demand answers and insist on accountability.
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