Members of Parliament have elected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Blantyre City South East, Sameer Suleman, as Speaker of the August House.
The election took place on Wednesday in the deliberation chamber, following the swearing-in of new MPs earlier this week.
Before the process began, Clerk of Parliament Fiona Kalemba announced that her office had received five letters of interest for the Speaker position. However, according to parliamentary guidelines, only four candidates were eligible to contest.
Kalemba confirmed that People's Development Party (PDP) President Kondwani Nankhumwa was excluded due to late submission, leaving Sameer Suleman (DPP), Peter Dimba (Malawi Congress Party), Sandram Sccot, and Rasken Ligawo as the candidates. She also noted that 221 members were present to cast their votes.
After voting, Sameer Suleman secured 134 votes, while Peter Dimba received 85 votes. The other two candidates did not receive any votes.
Suleman, who was successfully sworn in, succeeds Gotani Hara of the Malawi Congress Party, who served as Speaker from 2020 to 2025.
During his acceptance speech, Suleman pledged to work diligently to ensure that Parliament upholds democracy and serves the interests of all Malawians.
He also thanked those who voted for and supported him.
Parliament has also appointed Victor Musowa and Esther Jolobala as the first and second Deputy Speakers, respectively.
