President Lazarus Chakwera and heads of the other two arms of government are set to host a rare national conference in Lilongwe to discuss the doctrine of separation of powers among the three branches.

High Court of Malawi Judge Annabel Mtalimanja, who is committee chairperson of the conference for the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature, in an interview yesterday confirmed that the President, Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara and Chief Justice (CJ) Rizine Mzikamanda will be in attendance at the conference to be held in Lilongwe from next Tuesday.

Mtalimanja: The three agreed to host it

She said the conference, whose delegates will include Cabinet ministers, members of Parliament, judicial officers, academia, civil society and development partners, was organised to create an opportunity for discourse on the doctrine of separation of powers as enshrined in the country’s Constitution.

Said Mtalimanja: “The conference is a joint concept of His Excellency the President [Lazarus Chakwera], the Right Honourable the Speaker of Parliament and the Honourable the Chief Justice

“The three heads of the three branches of government agreed to co-host the conference.

“Among the expected outcomes is an enhanced understanding of what the doctrine is and what it is not; how it can be implemented amongst the three branches effectively whilst maintaining checks and balances and interdependence; and how the application of the doctrine can be harnessed in the pursuit of the national development plans and goals.”

The conference, which Malawi Law Society (MLS) president Patrick Mpaka confirmed that they have been invited to, will take place at Bingu International Convention Centre.

Key note speaker at the conference is Dr. John Barker, the founding director of Cambridge Governance Labs, a research group focused on tracking and addressing the structural drivers of governance risk in the United Kingdom.

Local speakers include former Unima professor of law Edge Kanyongolo and governance expert Henry Chingaipe.

The theme of the conference is ‘Separation of powers: A development catalyst or hindrancew?

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