Malawi Electoral Commission cautioned over ‘warning’ action to rigging suspect
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has been cautioned by electoral stakeholders on a manner it has settled a case involving. personal assistant to the Vice President, who was accused of Wearing a MEC badge during the November 2016 Mchinji West by-election.
Moses Kuchingale is alleged to have visited a number of polling centres, namely; Mzura Full Primary School, Mchinji Community Day Secondary School, Mchinji Secondary School and Kamwendo Trading Centre while posing as a MEC official.
MEC Chairperson Jane Ansah said after checking in the laws governing the elections, the electoral body has decided to warn Kuchingale and not drag him to court because it believes in settling elections disputes amicably.
But an editorial comment in The Nation newspaper of Tuesday said MEC should “tread carefully” and play by the rule if it is to gain and maintain public trust and confidence when the country is heading towards the 2019 tripartite elections.
On MEC blaming the police officers at the scene for not arresting the culprit, the paper said “two wrongs do not make a right”.
Reads the comment: “We would have expected these issues to have been tackled and handles right there and then.”
The paper pointed out that elections are an emotive issue, hence, “the need for the electoral body, as a refreee in the race, to garner the confidence and trust of the stakeholder it works with.”
Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) and the Center for Multiparty Democrcay (CMD), also cautioned MEC on their decision to just issue a warning, saying they have set a precedent.
Statkeholder also argue it is time MEC restored its public confidence by being an institution that is non-partisan when handling electoral matters
This lady can not handle elections professionally. We should expect disaster with this DPP stooge at the helm of Malawi Electoral Commission.
Justice Ansah has already shown signs of partiality towards the DPP. She is compromising the EC’s independence. Those close to her please tell her to reflect and be an EC chair, not a DPP stooge.
Utsogoleri wa amayiwa ukundikayikira ndipo ndikuona kuti sali serious ndi udindo wawo sakudziwa kuti ntchito yomwe ali nayo ndiyayikulu ndipo akhoza kudzaonongetsa dziko atapitiliza chibwana chotere
We already knew what the conclusion of this scandal shall be…………..If Moses Kuchingale was from the opposition parties, he would have been rotting in jail with no prospect of being released any time soon. Ms Ansah is trying to save her job and this is exactly the spirit that has and shall always make Malawi nation a laughing stock. Sometimes I wonder where all those patriotic people who fought for our independence with bare hands against a well equipped British colonialist army went. We have no patriotic people at all in Malawi at the moment……only cowards, thieves, womanisers etc. We… Read more »
This woman is another electral problem I can see forget free and fair elections in 20199 with this kind of system in place.