The Malawian parliament currently sitting in the capital Lilongwe was on Wednesday suspended prematurely due to the worsening wrangle between government and opposition.

"Parliament is suspended until next Monday as the leaders form both sides try to resolve the differences," Speaker Louis Chimango announced Wednesday afternoon when the house convened after it failed to meet in the morning.

The country's national assembly has hit a deadlock after the majority opposition legislators threatened to block passage of the country's 2006/07 budget pegged at 986 million U.S. dollars if government did not increase their salaries by 70 percent.

A legislator in Malawi earns about 2,000 dollars a month against the country's per capita income of 160 dollars per year.

The opposition parties represented in the Malawian parliament have also threatened to shoot down the budget unless President Bingu wa Mutharika makes a commitment to refrain from appointing cabinet ministers from opposition camps and to hold local government elections this year.

The political wrangle between government and opposition has worsened following Mutharika's recent appointment into cabinet of two legislators from the main opposition Malawi Congress Party and one from the United Democratic Front.

The parliament's Leader of the House Chimunthu Banda, who is also Environment Minister, told Xinhua on Wednesday evening that the political problems that had thrown the budget into quagmire could be resolved by the time the house resumes sitting on Monday next week.

"Government will come up with its statement on the issue and I am sure the speaker of parliament will also guide the house on how to proceed by Monday," said Banda.

Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe declined to comment on the effects that further delays on passing budget could have on the country's already poor economy.

He, however, said government was still operating normally following parliament's approval of a 248 million dollar provisional budget that would run until September 30, 2006.

The country's parliament is expected to pass the 986 million dollar government budget that has a 29 million dollar deficit.

Source: Xinhua