MCP walks out of Parliament after five legislators are suspended

A party that once trashed walkouts as cheap drama just stormed out of Parliament itself, flipping the script in full view of a stunned chamber.

Speaker suspends five MCP legislators

• Speaker Sameer Suleman barred five Malawi Congress Party members from the sitting.
• Accusations centered on them leaving seats during a blackout.
• They approached the Clerk’s table despite the procedure.
• Suleman said power loss did not excuse breaking chamber rules.

MCP bench stages coordinated exit

• Malawi Congress Party MPs then rose together and exited.
• Sanctions against five quickly turned into a wider protest.
• Shadreck Namalomba reacted with visible disbelief at the solidarity.
• He argued Parliament should focus on laws, not backing rule breakers.

Past criticism of walkouts resurfaces

• The MCP previously mocked walkouts as unserious behavior.
• The Democratic Progressive Party had faced that criticism before.
• Richard Chimwendo Banda once scolded absentee opposition lawmakers.
• President Lazarus Chakwera’s sessions were cited in earlier rebukes.