Nankhumwa cries foul over speaker election, DPP dismisses claims

People’s Development Party (PDP) president and Mulanje Central legislator Dr. Kondwani Nankhumwa has accused the National Assembly Secretariat and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of conspiring to block his candidacy in Wednesday’s Speaker of Parliament election, describing the development as “a bad day for democracy.”

Drama unfolded in the August House when Clerk of Parliament Fiona Kalemba announced that Nankhumwa had been disqualified from contesting because he submitted his nomination papers late.

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She cited parliamentary standing orders which allow only four members to be nominated for the position.

Kalemba said the final list of candidates comprised Sameer Suleman DPP, Peter Dimba Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Sandram Scott, and Lasten Vigalo both from DPP.

However, Nankhumwa insisted he met the submission deadline and accused Parliament officials and the DPP leadership of deliberately sidelining him to stifle his growing influence both within and outside the party.

“I was here at exactly 12:45pm in the Clerk of Parliament’s office. My nomination was received and signed; I was duly nominated and seconded. But to my surprise, I heard inside the chamber that there were additional candidates whose names we had never heard of before. This is something that makes one think politics is evil,” said Nankhumwa in an interview.

According to Nankhumwa, the inclusion of last-minute candidates of Scott and Vigalo was a calculated move to eliminate him from the race after he had reportedly secured widespread backing.

“I had about 42 MPs from the DPP who were ready to vote for me, plus some independents and even a few from the Malawi Congress Party. I believe I was the front-runner,” Nankhumwa claimed.

But the DPP has strongly dismissed his accusations, branding them as “baseless and misleading.”

DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said the Clerk of Parliament acted strictly in line with parliamentary procedures and that Nankhumwa’s nomination simply came too late.

“Only four people can be nominated, and it’s on a first-come, first-served basis. Honourable Nankhumwa submitted after four others had already done so. The Clerk of Parliament acted according to procedur,” said Namalomba.

He also dismissed Nankhumwa’s claims of commanding support within the DPP.

“He’s dreaming. How can someone who was expelled from the DPP claim to have loyal members in the party? We actually chased him out, he is no longer a DPP member,” said Namalomba.

Meanwhile, political analyst Chimwemwe Tsitsi has described Nankhumwa’s disqualification as a vital lesson in parliamentary procedure, urging lawmakers to ensure transparency and timely action in future nomination processes.

“Perhaps one would be interested to know how transparent the whole process is. Once one or two candidates have submitted their interest, it should be publicized so others know how many slots remain and can act in good time,” said Tsitsi.

He noted that while parliamentary rules differ from typical political contests, the incident should encourage legislators to be more proactive and informed about standing orders.

“It’s a lesson not only to Honourable Nankhumwa but to all MPs. Going forward, those interested in contesting for such positions must act quickly to avoid the predicament he has faced,” he said.

Tsitsi further observed that despite the controversy, the episode underscores the importance of procedural discipline and clarity in the operations of the National Assembly.

The new Speaker, Sameer Suleman, a DPP Member of Parliament, secured the speakership with 134 votes, defeating MCP candidate Peter Dimba, who garnered 85 votes. Fellow DPP-backed nominees Sandram Scott and Lasten Vigalo received no votes, while one abstention was recorded.

In the race for First Deputy Speaker, DPP’s Victor Musowa won with 134 votes, followed by MCP’s Emmanuel Chambulanyina Jere with 60 and UTM Party’s Catherine Mzumara with 24.

Meanwhile, Esther Jolobala of Machinga East (UDF) went unopposed as Second Deputy Speaker after two contestants, Mchinji South MP Owen Malijani (MCP) and Zomba Likangala MP Abigail Bungwe, withdrew their nominations.