24 members of Parliament affiliated with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who faced suspension on Monday due to their defiance of the Speaker’s directives, have now concluded their two-day disciplinary measure and have returned to the parliamentary sessions.
The Speaker of the House, Catherine Gotani Hara, invoked Standing Order 105 on Monday to penalize the MPs after disorder erupted in the chamber regarding the designation of the Leader of the Opposition to respond to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) that day.
Mary Navicha, the Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava and designated Leader of the DPP, was unable to address the SONA in response as she was among the lawmakers expelled from the House amidst the turmoil.
On Tuesday, the Speaker declared that Navicha would deliver her response to the SONA on Thursday, coinciding with the return of the 24 MPs to the parliamentary proceedings.
