HRDC on Ansah’s neck

Following the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal judgement upholding the nullification of the May 21 2019 presidential election and querying Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) competency, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) wants commission chairperson Jane Ansah to resign.

Briefing journalists in Lilongwe on Saturday, HRDC leaders said time has come for Ansah to resign as the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld the February 3 2020 decision of the five-judge panel of the High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court.

HRDC leaders comprising national coordinator Luke Tembo, Central Region chairperson McDonald Sembereka and executive members Billy Mayaya and Andrew Salima said the Supreme Court’s decision vindicated HRDC’s nationwide demonstrations demanding Ansah’s head for allegedly presiding over a flawed electoral process.

“We remember that when we told Malawians that MEC did not manage the election well, we demanded that the commission should resign but they said they will resign if the Supreme Court judgement faults them,” said Sembereka.

Explaining on HRDC’s role in the July 2 fresh presidential election, Tembo hinted that the rights body will deploy two monitors at each polling centre.

Efforts to get Ansah’s reaction to HRDC’s fresh call for her to resign proved futile as she could not be reached on her phone. MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the matter was personal to Ansah; hence, she was better-placed to respond.