Political parties in the country have been urged to strengthen both intra and inter-party collaboration to effectively conduct their national duties.

Speaking in Lilongwe after opening a day-long Cross-Party Workshop on Parliamentary Oversight, Democracy Works Foundation (DWF) deputy regional director Fannie Nthakomwa observed that there is a lack of collaboration both within and outside party boundaries which, she said, affects their performance on national roles.

Nthakomwa: There is a lack of collaboration

She said: “We did a study, trying to connect the nexus between political party caucuses and how they work with their members of Parliament when it comes to their oversight and legislative functions, we observed that there is a huge gap.”

Nthakomwa said in view of the ongoing Parliamentary Budget Meeting, politicians need to prioritise issues of national interest by balancing their own interest, the interest of the party and that of the nation.

In his contribution, United Democratic Front (UDF) secretary general Kandi Padambo described cross-party collaboration as critical to achieving meaningful national development.

“There must be times when we abandon our agentic tendencies or politicising issues and work together for the national interest,” he said.

In a separate interview, UTM Party secretary general Patricia Kaliati urged political party leaders to be tolerant and always strive for unity in the party if they are to serve the nation diligently.

“You need to know your purpose in the party and have the same vision as other members. A leader must be able to listen, analyse issues and be open to other people’s views other than promoting their own political ambition,” she said.

Among the crucial issues discussed during the meeting include scrutinising Budget Bills, Overcoming Challenges in Pre- and Post-Legislative Scrutiny of Budgets and Promoting Cross-Party Collaboration for Effective fiscal oversight.

This initiative is under the five-year USAid-funded Parliamentary Support Programme.

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