Some members of Parliament (MPs) have conceded that some constituents make unrealistic demands and invade their privacy to ask for support like coffins, school fees and food, which they say is not part of their parliamentary role.
Other MPs are even pressed to organise and lead initiation ceremonies for children in their respective constituencies.
This came out during an issue-based parliamentary committee engagement, organised by the Centre for Social Accountability Transformation (CSAT) in Lilongwe.
Machinga East lawmaker, Esther Jolabala, attributed the problem to the citizens’ lack of understanding of the role of MPs and requested CSAT to scale up its civic education to help communities improve their understanding of the role of the lawmakers.
Lilongwe Nsinja South MP, Francis Belekanyama, while agreeing with Jolabala’s sentiments, observed that MPs provide those items to remain in good books with the communities.
Both Jolabala and Belekanyama thanked CSAT for its Parliamentary Support Programme, which is being implemented in nine constituencies to improve constituents’ understanding of the MPs’ roles.
Ntchisi East lawmaker, Bernard Chitekwe and other MPs urged CSAT to scale up the programme to reach a wider audience.
CSAT Citizen Engagement Manager, Moffat Phiri, told the gathering that constituents, among others, want parliamentary deliberations to be done in Chichewa and that the government should consider constructing MPs’ constituency houses and constituency offices.
MPs only subscribed to suggestions for the introduction of Chichewa during parliamentary deliberations and the construction of constituency offices.
