Malawi Parliament rejects Police Bill

  1. Posted on Tuesday 24 November 2009 - 12:50
    madalitso
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    Madalitso Kateta, AfricaNews reporter in Blantyre, Malawi
    Malawi parliament has failed to agree on a controversial police bill that was to empower police officers to carry searches without warrant. The bill also seeks to prohibit officers from smoking and suspend officers found to be carrying sexually transmitted infections.
    malawi police
    Despite the fact that the government which has majority in the House strongly supports the bill, it has been referred to the legal affairs of the House as many parliamentarians believed it was not in line with democratic principals.

    However while the bill is in the parliamentary legal affairs committee, some top government officials believe that the bill would bring some professionalism in the Malawi police service.

    Malawi’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Aaron Sangala, said the police has to be disciplined and this bill was meant to enforce that discipline in the service.

    “Police officers must be exemplary and this can be manifested if they are free from STIs,” said Sangala.

    However this did not go on well with Atupele Muluzi who asked parliament to be serious when presenting bills.

    “Lets not just pass legislations for the sake of it, the laws that we pass today will affect many generations to come so we need serious bills to be presented in the house, “said Muluzi.

    The Malawi police service is currently reported to be seriously affected by the HIV and AIDS pandemic and if the bill was to be passed, many police officers are to be forced for mandatory tests and loose their jobs.

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