Appointment of Ministers and Deputy Ministers

(1) The President shall have the power to appoint Ministers or Deputy Ministers and to fill vacancies in the Cabinet. (2) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Minister or Deputy Minister unless that person— (a) is a citizen of the Republic who upon taking office, has attained the age of twenty-one years; (b) is able to speak and to read the English language; and (c) is registered as a voter in a constituency. (3) Notwithstanding subsection (2), no person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Minister or Deputy Minister who— (a) owes allegiance to a foreign country; (b) is, under any law in force in the Republic, adjudged or otherwise declared to be of unsound mind; (c) has, within the last seven years, been convicted by a competent court of a crime involving dishonesty or moral turpitude; (d) is an undischarged bankrupt, having been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in the Republic; (e) holds or acts in any public office or appointment; [13 of 2001] (f) belongs to, and is serving in the Defence Forces of Malawi or in the Malawi Police Service; (g) has, within the last seven years, been convicted by a competent court of any violation of any law relating to election of the President or election of the members of Parliament. [6 of 1995; 13 of 2001]