Malango questions legality of Cabinet chair switch — Why did Chihana preside instead of Ansah?

First Vice‑President Jane Ansah did not chair a Cabinet meeting — despite reports she was fully available to do so. The flashpoint came when Dedza Kasina MP Joshua Malango rose on Standing Order 69, demanding answers from the Minister of Justice on why Second Vice‑President Enoch Chihana ended up chairing the meeting after President Peter Mutharika allegedly travelled to Blantyre. Malango pressed hard, questioning the legal and constitutional basis for bypassing the First Vice‑President.

“Why is the Vice-President, who was elected together with the President, not chairing the meeting?” he asked, triggering murmurs across the chamber. But Speaker Suleman shut the matter down instantly, ruling that the question strayed into internal government operations and would not be entertained on the floor. “The issue you’re raising is an in‑house government matter,” Suleman declared.

“Government is a machinery; it knows what it’s doing and we just have to work with what government is doing.” He advised Malango to pursue the matter through formal parliamentary channels if he wanted further clarification from the Executive — effectively signalling that the House would not be drawn into Cabinet‑level disputes. The exchange briefly cast a spotlight on how Cabinet business is conducted when the President is unavailable, and raised fresh questions about the roles and hierarchy of Malawi’s top executive officers during high‑level government meetings.