Last week Monday, Speaker of the National Assembly, Catherine Gotani Hara suspended for two days four Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members of Parliament for disrupting proceedings in the August House. However, by Tuesday morning, the list grew to 24.

On Tuesday morning, the DPP was expected to respond to the State of the Nation Address (Sona), but among the suspended was its leader in the house Mary Navicha. In their wisdom, they thought it wise to still share their Sona response through the media outside Parliament. Anyone who knows Parliamentary procedures knows that such communication made outside the chamber does not form part of the Parliament records. In other words, as it is, there are no records of DPP’s response to the Sona and, consequently, no reference point.

But DPP was given a second chance, which they should have used to deliver the response, but in its arrogant mind, turned down this chance.

The party had its minute of fame and must be feeling proud for refusing to share their response with Malawians in the House. However, DPP will one day rue this chance and wish they had done the right thing. Thursday was their chance to stamp their authority and voice as the biggest opposition party. The response delivered on Tuesday was drowned in the noise and drama that ensued at Parliament following the suspension of some of the party’s MPs. It was hard to decipher whether what Navicha was presenting outside Parliament was a response or mere DPP outbursts after being denied entry into the House.

This was a chance for DPP to articulate what was right or wrong with the Sona and also share what it would have done right. It is focused on its internal party politicking and it is slowly losing direction of the bigger picture. Unfortunately, the DPP wants to use Parliament as a battleground for settling its intraparty bickering. If the party continues on this path, especially in Parliament, Malawians should brace themselves for rushed and not-so-thoroughly scrutinised bills passing as the opposition wastes time fighting.

One thing the opposition should not lose sight of is that, whatever chaos is happening in their camp, the biggest winner will be the government side.

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