By Prisca Promise Mashushu

Lilongwe November 18, Mana: Parliament Week aims to highlight the vital role that parliament plays in fostering democracy and enhancing the connection between citizens and their elected representatives.

This was said during the official launch of the Parliament Week on Monday in Lilongwe.

Speaker of the Parliament, Catherine Gotani Hara, said the launch underlines members of parliament's dedication and constitutional commitment to represent the aspirations of the people of Malawi while also promoting democracy.

“We believe we cannot effectively represent the people if the people themselves are not engaging and understanding how their representatives works in parliament.

“The Parliament Week will also address misconceptions concerning members of parliament and the parliament at large by answering all questions people have concerning the parliament,” Hara explained.

Representing the Leader of the House, Minister of tourism Vera Kamtukule said the Parliament Week will help people to be aware of significant issues that members of parliament discuss and implement on the ground.

“This will help people to observe, understand and gain knowledge on what members of parliament discuss and also help them to see how their leaders make laws, policies on different issues of the country,” she explained.

The United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malawi, Rebecca Adda Dontoh explained that the parliament week will offer a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers and the change makers.

“We call on young people to become more politically engaged by actively seeking ways to shape the future and advocate for policies that reflect their values,” she said.

The parliament week commenced with the parade from area 18 interchange and ended at parliament building where the rest of the activities took place.

The Week is held under the theme ‘know your parliament’ and is aimed at enhancing public awareness of the functions and operations of Malawi Parliament.