‘Malawi will have tripartite polls in 2014’

Malawi Government has assured all stakeholders that the country is set to hold tripartite elections in 2014, a development that will give Malawians a chance to vote for local councillors for the first time since 2000.

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara told delegates to a Public Affairs Committee (PAC) All-inclusive Stakeholders’ Conference in the commercial city, Blantyre, last week that the PP administration is determined to hold tripartite elections.

Kasambara disclosed that a bill, facilitating the holding of tripartite elections, has been worked out and is due for presentation in Parliament this November for debate and possible adoption into the Constitution.

Parliament has for several years during the administrations of UDF and DPP failed to debate and pass the bill that would have enabled the holding of the tripartite elections.

If Parliament passes the bill, Malawians will have the right to elect a President, their Members of Parliament and local councillors at once.

The previous administrations’ failure to give Malawians a chance to elect local councillors, being their democratic right, has been a thorny governance issue which tainted images of the previous governments in as far constitutionalism is concerned.

Kasambara responded to the issue when it was brought up as a concern and it was one of PAC items on the agenda to demand the position of government on tripartite polls.