Malawi awaits new commissioners at electoral body
Malawians are waits with bated breaths the appointment by President Peter Mutharika a new set of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioners before the expiry date of the office of the current ones.
The current office holders leave office on Tuesday, May 17, 2016 except for the chairman Maxon Mbendera whose term of office ends in October.
Mutharika assured officials from the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) two weeks ago that he would appoint the commissioners before May 17, 2016.
MEC chairman Mbendera said it would have been better if the president made the appointment before the current commissioners leave office on Tuesday.
However, the chairman of Malawi Electoral Systems Network Steve Duwa said appointing new commissioners before the current ones leave office would complicate matters.
Outgoing MEC commissioner Emmanuel Chimkwita Phiri said the commissioners did a wonderful job to ensure free, fair and credible elections amid many challenges in the 2014 general election which ushered President Mutharika into office.
He admitted there were several flaws though including the number of ballot papers cast exceeding the number of voters in some areas but said these flaws were in isolated places.
“This is why we insisted that there should be a count. All in all, everything went on well and here we have a government,” he said.
At the height of the problems, former president Joyce Banda tried in vain to stop the counting of the votes and ordered a fresh election as she was trailing behind Mutharika and Malawi Congress Party president Lazarus Chakwera, a distant third in the presidential race.
However, the courts blocked this, saying a President had no powers to give orders on matters of elections as she was an interested party.
During the declaration of the official results, Mbendera wept.
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Chinkwita is the most devil at the Electoral Commission
‘And here we have a fake government’ that has completely failed in all spheres of life because the Almighty God did not give it His blessings
You failed us guys you can go.
(there were several flaws, this is why we insisted that there should be a count)
Malawi 20:14 mbendera wept.