MEC ponders Poll date shift
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it wants to ask for a shift in the general elections date from May as stipulated in the Constitution to September to allow people more time to cast their votes.
MEC chairperson Jane Ansah announced the plans in her briefing to members of the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament in Lilongwe last week. She said the proposal is part of reforms the commission plans to effect before the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
She said the reforms include shifting the polling month from the Tuesday in the third week of May in the fifth year after the previous general election to September.
Said Ansah: “In May it is always cold and geographically we have short days and long nights as compared to September which has long days. We think it would be better if the days are shifted. This isn’t final, but it is one of the reforms we are contemplating to propose.”
Reacting to the MEC proposal, opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson on Legal Affairs Maxwell Thyolera said MEC would do the country good if the reforms were implemented after the 2019 general elections.
He said: “That issue was also asked by the Law Commission, but you observe that there are several implications, including financial and political, because August or September won’t be appropriate. It means Parliament has to meet when campaign has heated up which will also affect the national budget.
“The present set-up should remain as it is so that the budget meeting should be done after we have voted.”
Thyolera, who Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee chairperson, urged the MEC chairperson to avoid contradicting herself in her statements, observing that Ansah said going biometric would speed up the voting process.
He said: “Unless they are planning something, the initial voting day should be maintained. It seems something fishy is happening. They need to come out clearly and should be consistent in whatever they can communicate.”
However, both the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) and the Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn), in their capacities as members of the National Electoral Reforms Task force, said they welcome the idea of shifting the polling days following reports that May is not ideal.
PAC executive director Robert Phiri said the change would, however, require an amendment of some sections of the Constitution; hence, more consideration needs to be taken.
He said: “As PAC, we welcome the idea. It is ideal. Being part of the National Task force on the Electoral Reforms, we know what is in the proposal and I believe if it is effected things will change for the better in our electoral system like the issue of national identity [ID] card and dissolution of Parliament. I am in total support of shifting to September.”
Mesn chairperson Steve Duwa also said the proposal as outlined by Ansah, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, was agreed by the task force.
“We have had reports that in May the period is not ideal, so there were proposals that the period be shifted from May to either August or September, but if MEC wants to revive that one, it is a welcome idea which will come with a cost like requirements for some amendments’ in the Constitution,” he said.
Section 76 (2)(b) of the Constitution states that the duties and functions of the Electoral Commission shall include determining the electoral petitions and complaints related to the conduct of any elections; which is related to the proposal to change the polling dates. n
