MEC cancels Mchinji West by-election: No funding from Malawi govt
Pollster, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has cancelled the May 10 Mchinji West by-election because of lack of funding from government.
MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said they have not yet received funding for the exercise.
Political commentator Rafiq Hajat condemned the government for failng to fund MEC for the by-election saying that is flouting the Republican Constitution as people of Mchinji West are denied their right to parliamentary representation.
Spokesperson for treasury Nations Msowoya claimed the government has not received request for the by-election funding.
Mchinji West fell vacant after its member of parliament Kanjira Banda died suddenly of heart attack, a day after attacking First Deputy Speaker Esther Mcheka Chilenje.
All MEC commissioners except the chairman leave office on May 18 but President Peter Mutharika has said names of new office bearers will be announced before May 18.
It is not know how much MEC is looking for to hold the byelection but a recent by election in Zomba and three local government by elections cost the tax payer K250 million.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
We are missing the point here my brethren. Its about a month only since late Kanjira passed away and its less than 90 days for the by-elections to be conducted. The issue of conducting this by-elections came in early by the MEC officials/Commissioners themselves saying they want that elections to take place before their contract expires on May 18. I don’t know the reasons behind Commissioners’ request but I think they wanted to wrap up with some allowances. Nthawi yochitira masankhowa ilipo yambiri, take example of the Zomba Chisi constituency and 2 Wards one in Mchinji and 1 in Lilongwe,… Read more »
IF MSOWOYA IS TRUE THAT HIS OFFICE HAS NOT RECEIVED SUCH A REQUEST FROM MEC, THEN MWAFULIRWA HAS LIED TO THE MALAWI NATION AND HE NEEDS TO APOLOGISE OR BE BOOTED OUT OF OFFICE FOR INCOMPETENCY.
Pangatalike pangafupike by-ellection idzachitika ku Mchinji and dpp will lose by all means.
Just because it is Mchinji, an opposition stronghold, there are funds to conduct the bye-elections! if it were Zomba, the funds would have been available
DDP wants to weaken the opposition voting power in parliament .
Bwana President please give the fellows in MEC money enough to run the elections in Mchinji. But do not retain the head and any of the current serving commissioners of MEC after the expiry of their term. Give a chance to new professionals.
O……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..O
The reason is not necessarily lack of funding per se, but lack of interest in the whole election thing, by govt.
. . . The govt knows that holding the by-election in Mchinji, will increase the current number of MPs for MCP by 1; and perhaps MCP’s strength, since there is strength in numbers.
, , , If this by election was for Thyolo, funding could have promptly been sourced and made available and forthwith released.
It is as simple as difficult as that!
O…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..O