Mulanje Bale lawmaker Victor Musowa has proposed for a review on how parliamentary roll calls are administered.

Musowa says it is unfortunate to observe that some Members of Parliament (MPs) are declared absent for temporarily being outside the chamber or coming late.

He wondered: “It is honorary enough to actually know that when we travel from our constituencies to Lilongwe, we are coming to represent our people, so the fact that we are not in our constituencies, our people need to be represented.

“Possibly, roll calls aren’t solving the problem because tomorrow if I find a similar problem, I have to attend to that, I won’t come, I will wait so what I am trying to propose that is why can’t we say those MPs that haven’t come completely are the ones should be subjected to absenteeism.”

The concerned lawmaker said he will write the Speaker seeking address on his concerns over how roll calls should be conducted.

“They marked me absent, I have been here since 10:00am, when these House was being adjourned, I was here so let coming and absenteeism are two different things.

“I am very worried, and I am determined to carry on the matter to the Speaker to rest my concerns through an official letter for them to into this issue throughout through the business committee,” lamented Musowa.

But reacting to the concern, Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda said roll call is administered in accordance with the commencement of business in the House on that particular sitting day.

“Roll call is what we agreed that members have to be in the house, my own personal opinion is that we must continue with it, it is the House that MPs come to work at 9:30am, civil servants at 7:30am, I don’t know if 9:30 isn’t enough.

“But it is the House, they can make their rules, and Malawians are the ones who are going to say these rules are good for Malawians as we serve them, but we believe that 9:30 is a better time for members to be in the chamber,” responded Chimwendo Banda.

According to Standing Order 41 on leave of absence, a member who is absent without seeking leave of absence shall forfeit all allowances during the period of absence.