LILONGWE, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Malawi Parliament will reconvene next Monday to embark on legislative process ahead of the fresh presidential election as ordered by the constitutional court Monday in its judgment on the May election.
Speaker of Parliament, Catherine Gotani Hara, disclosed this Thursday at the New Parliament Building in Lilongwe when she addressed the local media on the matter.
The constitutional court ordered a fresh presidential election in 150 days and ordered Parliament to meet within 21 days to make some amendments to the law to accommodate the new developments.
The Speaker of Parliament said there is no time to waste and that deliberations on the matter will be held even on weekends to beat the deadline.
"The Parliament's main task will be to align the Presidential and Parliamentary Elections Act (PPEA) with the Constitution on concurrence of presidential election and parliamentary election," explained Hara.
She added that the House's Legal Affairs Committee will meet to look into the legislative matters while the Public Appointments Committee will meet to inquire into the capacity and competence of the Electoral Commission's current commissioners to oversee the conduct of the fresh election.
"The Legal Affairs Committee as well as the Public Appointments Committee will come up with necessary reports and draft Bills to put into effect the orders of the court," explained the Speaker.
"Space has been provided for the Bills and committee reports to be considered, passed and adopted by the House before February 24 when the 21 days period comes to an end," she said.
While the constitutional court's annulment of the May election results received praises world over, President Peter Mutharika Wednesday said in a national address that he is going to challenge the ruling at Supreme Court of Appeal.
Mutharika described the ruling as "a serious subversion of justice, an attack on our democratic systems and an attempt to undermine the will of the people".
However, the Malawi leader said his appealing is not meant to stop the fresh election but "to correct the fundamental errors in the judgment to protect our laws, principles of justice and democracy".
