CSOs demand investigations into Mbendera’s claims

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of People (Cedep) have called for thorough investigations into Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Maxon Mbendera’s alleged claims of pressure from “the high office” during this year’s tripartite elections.

The Daily Times of October 2 2014 quoted Mbendera as alleging that former president Joyce Banda ordered the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to push MEC to conduct vote recount, the exercise that was challenged a number of times through court injunctions.

“We at CHRR and Cedep implore the relevant authorities to conduct swift, thorough investigations into Mbendera’s claims so that all Malawians of good will are kept abreast of the truth about what happened during the highly controversial tripartite elections,” stated the two civil society organisations (CSOs) in a statement released on Monday and signed by Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence, CHRR and Cedep executive directors, respectively.

CHRR and Cedep said if the allegation is true, it smacks of power abuse on the part of the former president, which Malawians should guard against.

They also expressed surprise at the period that has elapsed from the time the elections were made to the time when the allegation has been made. The two organisations have also described Mbendera as irrelevant and called on him to step down.

“CHRR and Cedep are surprised that four months down the line [after the elections], the MEC chairperson and the rest of his team [commissioners] are still at the helm of the commission despite the shortfalls that rendered their competence and credibility questionable,” reads the statement.

The Islamic Commission for Justice and Peace (ICJF) also questioned Mbendera’s motive behind the allegations he made.

According to the statement signed by its secretary general Hassan Chimwala, ICJF called on MEC to sort out all the problems so that future elections, like today’s by-elections, are conducted in “a free, fair and transparent manner”.

When contacted yesterday, Mbendera refused to comment on the allegations.

“The response to what you are asking is ‘no comment’,” he said.