‘The noes have it’: Abortion bill misscarried as Malawi MPs reject its tabling!
The much-awaited motion on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill was rejected by members of parliament on Thursday from being tabled in the House and it was removed from the revised Order Paper, an outline of business to be tackled in Parliament.
The motion to debate the bill was moved by Chitipa MP, Werani Chilenga who asked the House to allow Parliamentary Committee on Health chairperson Matthews Ngwale to table a motion to facilitate the tabling of the Termination of Pregnancy (Private Members’) Bill.
But when First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Madaliso Kazombo had put the question to the House, almost all MPs shouted “No” and the Deputy Speaker said “The Noes have it”. Motion was rejected from being presented.
Mwanza Central legislator Nicholas Dausi said bill should not be allowed in the august House because it stands against the values of the society.
In his own submission, Dausi said “women should not be allowed to kill.”
Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda said it is up to the opposition to handle the issue since the motion was coming from their side as Ngwale is independent MP but aligns with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
The Chiradzulu West legislator.said there is still room to have the motion presented in the House during the current Mid-Year Budget Review Meeting of Parliament.
Meanwhile, concerned youths gathered outside Parliament- a distance away from the entrance in support of the motion that will facilitate tabling of the bill.
Security officers refused the youths to stand at the entrance of the Parliament.
Chimwemwe Mlombwa from She Decides Malawi said she is “shocked and disappointed” that the 43 women in Parliament did not see the bills as a maternal health issue “as we are losing lives of women every single day.”
Women Caucus of Parliament chairperson Lonnie Chijere Phiri said the caucus was willing to support it “if presented.”.
The proposed law provides that in the case of rape, incest or defilement, the woman would first have to report the matter to police to be eligible for termination of the pregnancy.
Several faith groups have recently spoken against the Bill. They include the General Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), Evangelical Association of Malawi, Public Affairs Committee and Muslim Association of Malawi.
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These guys don’t bear the pain.Its so expensive to manage a single abortion done illegally,consequences range from sepsis and death.They consider positively saving the unborn & unknown other than the living who is the bearer ,not by will but circumstantial angle.We might think we are faithful enough that we don’t kill but what you do to citizens is more than this.We think we are saint enough but alas!
People lauding the MPs for blocking this bill would be shocked to learn that some of these same loud MPs have actually procured abortions in the past (either for themselves or their girlfriends). There’s a lot of hypocrisy in this world. Pushing a bill which you know will fail is a waste of resources: When you’re faced with a bad law which you know many people will want to maintain just for appearances, you change the policy instead. Even during the Kamuzu days, Govt hospitals were treating women and girls who had had abortions. This is the time I heard… Read more »
Women when you are raped please go to police and hospital, you will be assisted. ALSO TAKE CONTRACEPTIVES. No killings in Malawi. Bravo members of parliament.
Do you realise some are children and are typically threatened by the rapists especially when it’s family. Musamathe mawu kuchitira mawa.
so are we allowed to rape. But it’s happening anyway.
This is concerning that the lives of women are being decided by old men who are sticking to old traditions and ignoring the reason why this issue was raised in the first place. Malawi is a backward-thinking country built on archaic values that are detracting the country from progressing.
Mubwele kunja muzatsegule manso and you will realise kuti those old traditions are better than being fools
The MPs have done a great job. Malawi is an advanced free nations. Rejecting a bill on abortion does not make us backward, in fact it makes us prudent and reformative. If this bill were given to a referendum , it would be defeated and rejected in the same manner the parliamentarians have done.
Unwanted pregnancies can do more harm to the social fabric of the country, children abandoned, child beggers, child crimes. Until Government impliments child financial benefits and safety nets women will continue to seek out unsafe abortions. Shame with all the money being spent on gender based violence Government continues to disrespect the Right of a Woman to choose.
They shouldn’t make a baby from first time
why assume that all pregnancies are from willing people. 13 year olds are being raped and impregnated
Where does the un wanted come from and who told us kuti tonse tizabadwa njira zofana ena tinabadwa chifukwa mayi anthu anagwiliridwa
I hope your daughter/ granddaughter gets raped
They people who are struggling to have children it’s their chance to adopt the abandoned children. Kusiyana ndinyansi ndi usatana wochotsa mimba. Everyone child deserves right to live. Unless if there’s gross malformation. Threatening the life of the mother etc termination should be conducted with 3 signatory from Medical doctors not any otherwise.
Unwanted pregnancies are mostly a result of Wanted Sex.
Malawi chooses poverty once again. How is it the church don’t campaign outside military barracks against murder, but they are happy to deny women the right to abort a forced pregnancy.
Ha ha ha ha ha! Childish reasoning…kkkkkkkkk
Iiiii olo mutakana kuvomereza bill olo not even tabling, alipo lololo ochotsa mimba. Panopa mimba zikuchotsedwa daily. Apa timangofuna authority. Our MPs should move with recent times
If God did not authorize to kill, then who can authorize it.
Is killing the only sin. A country full of thieves. Sex yokhayo is a sin. So don’t pretend to he holy here
Then let those who are aborting do so with the authority they have.
Sure, let us continue with enjoying sex and aborting but remember, most of us may not have been in existence and contributing to the debate had we been aborted by selfish mothers
How would you tell that this is a rape,incest or defilement pregnant?Lets not copy and paste everything what these Western countries are doing.Am glad that most reasonable MPs have rejected the bill.
We already have banja la mtsogolo which provides abortions in almost every town or district. That’s it, no need to change existing laws, ngati wadya ndrama zaku Ireland pita kabwezeni
That’s the problem. Abortion is going to happen whether or not it is legal. At least if it is legalised it will mean that women have less chance of dying during the procedure.