Last updated: Saturday, April 4, 2009
MALAWIAN GOVERNMENT 'SURPRISED' BY MADONNA ADOPTION VERDICT
A Malawian government minister has spoken of her "surprise" at the court ruling which blocked MADONNA from adopting a second child from the African country.
The singer was denied her request for an interim adoption of four-year-old Mercy James on Friday (03Apr09), five days after making her application official.
The bid was reportedly rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents must be resident in Malawi for 18 to 24 months prior to an adoption.
Madonna's attempt to welcome the youngster into her family was met with hostility from human rights organisations and children's charities in the country.
But the adoption received the backing of Malawian government officials - who praised the star for her tireless charity efforts in the region.
And child welfare minister Anna Kachikho admits she was shocked by the court decision.
She says, "To say I'm surprised is an understatement. We understand this good lady is assisting more than 25,000 orphaned children in Malawi. I don't see what's wrong for Madonna to take one child as her own. She hasn't used the back door (sidestepped legal regulations). She followed all procedures."
Meanwhile Annie Chikhwaza, who runs the children's home where Madonna first met Mercy, adds, "This is such a shock. Madonna's children had taken to her (Mercy) instantly. The first thing Mercy said when she saw Madonna was, 'Mummy'. And then she said, 'David,' 'Rocco' and 'Lola'. I'd told her all about her new family."
Madonna's bid to become a mother again comes a year after her adoption of Malawian tot David Banda, three, was made official, following two years of legal wrangling. She is also mum to Rocco, eight, and Lourdes, 12.
The 50-year-old is determined to fight the ruling and lodged an appeal in the capital city of Lilongwe just hours after her application was turned down.
Source: WENN
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