MEC warns stakeholders

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has warned electoral stakeholders against being influenced by partisan politics, threatening to sever ties with those found engaging in malpractices that can undermine the credibility of the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

MEC issued the warning to stakeholders, notably Malawi Police Service (MPS), district and city councils, district education managers (DEMs) and constituency returning officers (CROs) who are directly linked to the nomination process.

Briefing stakeholders on the nomination of candidates in Mzuzu on Saturday, commissioner Linda Kunje said the electoral body also believes that the police is doing its best to deal with cases of political violence that have hit the country in the run-up to the elections.

She said every Malawian should be allowed to enjoy their political freedoms and rights to enhance the credibility of the election.

Said Kunje: “As electoral staff, you are not supposed to engage in malpractices that undermine the credibility of elections. You are supposed to be impartial and show no political sides or partisanship. There will be constant and intense monitoring and supervision by the commission.

“If you are found engaging in malpractices, the commission will not hesitate to sever ties with you. I should further emphasise that every election is serious business for the commission and the stakeholders concerned and indeed all of us Malawians.”

Commenting on cases of political violence, the commissioner said while the cases have been reported to the MEC, the electoral body believes that the police is putting the situation under control.

Said Kunje: “We are not undermining the incidences that are happening, but we would want to believe that the situation is under control and it will continue to be the same.”

But while welcoming MEC’s tough stance, some political parties have cast doubt on the electoral body’s seriousness. They have since urged MEC to walk the talk, recounting that during previous elections, the electoral body allegedly engaged some stakeholders that played partisan politics, especially those that aligned themselves with governing parties, but did nothing to correct the situation.

United Democratic Front (UDF) secretary general (SG) Kandi Padambo said his party welcomes the sentiments, but expects MEC to match the words with actions.

He said: “We welcome any statement from MEC that is intended at achieving a fair and credible election, particularity when it is intended at leveling the play field. It has been alleged in the past that MEC used stakeholders that were in favour of the ruling party. We don’t want a repeat of that.

“If they have now taken this new route, we are happy. We welcome the move and we only wish that come May 21, what MEC has said will match actions prior to that day and on that day.”

UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga added that the party, which formed the first multiparty administration in 1994, hopes that the statement from MEC “is not a public relations statement, but a genuine commitment to ensure fairness so that we can have a credible electoral process”.

UTM Party SG Patricia Kaliati cast doubt on MEC’s seriousness, saying: “They were not serious. That was just lip service. They can’t do it. The good thing is that they said it in the presence of the media, I hope you will remind them of this later.”

She said MEC can only sever ties with stakeholders found to be flirting with opposition parties and not those promoting the interests of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

MCP SG Eisenhower Mkaka also said while his party would want to trust MEC, the electoral body should go beyond rhetoric.

He said: “They will need to act if they are to sustain this trust which was almost lost. We want MEC to go beyond rhetoric. As electoral stakeholders, we all need to be vigilant, watchful and proactive.

“Where we need to act in unison, let’s do that, and where we need to act in isolation, let us all do that so that MEC conducts a credible election.”

People’s Party (PP) spokesperson Ackson Kalaile Banda said all his party wants is law and order ahead of the polls.

But DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi supported MEC, urging stakeholders to discharge their delegated duties according to the dictates of the law.

He said: “The advice from MEC is timely because those stakeholders that discharge duties on behalf of MEC do that on delegated responsibility.”

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the MEC meeting in Mzuzu, Mzuzu Police station officer Lovemore Mwabumba pledged that police will ensure that the elections are held peacefully and that they are always on standby to arrest every law breaker.

Last week, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) wrote MPS Inspector General (IG) Rodney Jose demanding his resignation for allegedly allowing partisan politics and tolerating political violence.

But in an interview, the police chief said he felt concerned with cases of violence, and that MPS was dealing with the problem.

Towards the end of last year, MEC led by its chairperson Jane Ansah, engaged political leaders—including President Peter Mutharika, Vice-President Saulos Chilima, MCP president Lazarus Chakwera, Joyce Banda of PP and Atupele Muluzi of UDF—in face-to-face meetings to commit to a violence-free election campaign to ensure a free, fair and credible election.

Candidates are set to submit nomination papers to MEC from February 4 to 8.