Malawi Electoral Commission gazettes June 23 voting day: Pessimistic on holding credible election

June 11, 2020 Lovemore Gunde -Nyasa Times 48 Comments

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it will publish in the Malawi Government Gazette, the official publication of legal notices, the June 23, 2020 as the date of voting for the court-sanctioned fresh presidential elections but has indicated the country should expect a lot of irregularities in view of the short period of time for preparations

Justice Dr Chifundo Kachale: To engage presidential candidates

In a statement on Thursday, newly appointed MEC Chairperson Dr, Chifundo Kachale, who has succeeded Justice Jane Ansah who stepped aside two weeks ago after the court found the commission incompetent said the electoral body is gazetting the polling day in compliance with the formal communication from the Clerk of Parliament dated June 9 2020 informing the Commission of the Parliamentary Resolution of the same date.

“The said communication indicated that this resolution was passed on the basis of the Supreme Court of Appeal decision of 8th May 2020 directing the House to appoint the date for the Fresh Presidential Polls,” reads the statement by Kachale, a judge of the High Court.

However, Kachale is very pessimistic as he said in the statement that the decision to publish the polling date has been arrived at with “considerable hesitation arising from the practicalities of holding genuine, credible elections in the view of logistical challenges that the commission anticipates in implementing steps towards the holding of the polls.”

Meanwhile,  the electoral commission is promptly seeking to engage directly with all contesting presidential candidates to  “appraise them of these anticipated challenges and to explore possible mitigation measures for the purpose of ensuring  delivering of credible, free and fair elections per the relevant mandate for this ominous Fresh Presidential Election. “

Kachale, who was sworn in by Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda on Tuesday in Blantyre, has vowed to restore public trust which the electoral body lost during the May 2019 Tripartite Elections.

He was sworn in alongside six commissioners, namely Jean Mathanga, Linda Kunje, Arthur Nanthuru, Steve Duwa, Anthony Mukumbwa and Olivia Liwewe.

Kachale lauded by electoral stakeholders as a man of integrity, promised to deliver services that will earn the trust and confidence of the country’s citizens.

“We would like to do what is good for this nation because this process is very vital to build the political and governance systems of this nation and we would like to do that in a manner that the people of Malawi will respect the outcomes,” said the new MEC chairperson.

He observed that the commission is a constitutional body committed to holding regular, credible, fair and open elections, and it is its responsibility to ensure that the electoral process is conducted according to the prescription of the law to ensure that every stakeholder accepts the outcome.

The High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court on February 3 nullified the May 21 2019 presidential election over irregularities, especially in the results management system and ordered a fresh election within 150 days which expires on July 3. The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal on May 8 upheld the nullification.

However, the fresh election faces several legal and logistical challenges, including enabling laws and printing of ballot papers which is yet to be sanctioned.

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48 replies on “Malawi Electoral Commission gazettes June 23 voting day: Pessimistic on holding credible election”

  2. I appeal to Malawians of good will to pray unceasingly for Chifundo Kachale, New MEC Chief because there already dark forces out there bent on corrupting him in whatever means if rumours circulating are anything to go by. We know experts in bribery have been holding clandestine meetings and are on the prowl with bundles or promises of good life if Kachale agrees to …
    Let’s pray for him not to be misled. He is carrying a very heavy load of Malawians hopes for a better Malawi.

  4. Deleting all data at MEC And involve IT auditors whether the system is not hacked by the ruling as it is rumoured that HSA interviews systems were connected to NEC systems.

    1. Musanamizile Lhomwe Belt. Ife ndiye eni ake a Lhomwe Belt kulibe TONSE alliance. Even UTM is booed in Lhomwe Belt

  7. Its not APM, Ansah or MEC which has delayed this election. Its the supreme court which took 95 out of 150 days to deliver its ruling. One wonders what could have happened if the concourt was to rule fresh election to be done within the constitutional 60 days!

  8. Voting on June 23rd will just be a waste of time and resources. There will be way too many irregularities than what was documented for the nullified 2019 Elections. Take it or leave it, in a Developing country Nobody can deliver free, fair and credible election in 12 days. We have too many hard to reach places in this country.

    1. Interesting why the negative comments. Should we suspect a likely loser of the free for all beneficiary should the opposition succeed?

    2. To give enough time to the president could have instituted MEC in time. Why was he clinging to Ansah? We are tired we want change.

  9. Mr. Kachale. Please ensure a fair, free credible and well managed elections to avoid opposition being on your neck calling for your resignation. Opposition to them a fair election is one in which they win it. Anything less than it’s not a well managed election. They are are heading towards loss so take note of that in advance.
    Above all take lesson from judge Mwangulu analysis of the Supreme Court judgement which has errors. MEC is a Court on its own and it has no obligation to pay costs to anyone.Chakwera akaluza akalipire yekha Mvalo wake

    1. The same goes for DPP. Nobody else should win except DPP and they will put in place all impediments, such as rigging,, tolock the opposition

    3. Mapyiya, I can see you are now panicking. The time for you, as a cadet for DPP is fast approaching an end. In a fair and transparent election, DPP and its alliance cant win. They have destroyed Malawi in all aspects, including democratic principles, rule of law, governance, and above all, ruled the country and promoted development based on tribal and regionalism. Look at how fat DPP ministers are, stealing and over-eating in a land of poverty and hunger. These people are evil, stealing money that should go for the development of the country, especially in the neglected regions and districts. Its time to change and thoroughly investigate the thieves, so that they can face the law.

  10. Now it is your time to be in the spotlight Dr. Kachale. Koma logistically it will be an uphill task to hold credible elections koma paja amati tsache lanyuwani limasesa moyela tiziwona umo muchitile. Ntchito ilipo ife tikufunilani zabwino zonse

  11. The ConCourt gave plenty of time to prepare. As we learned, the Concourt could have ordered the vote to happen in 60 days, but they gave twice that amount of time, that was time enough to get everything ready. The fact that everything is being done in two weeks is squarely down to the delaying tactics attempted by Mutharika in collaboration with Jane Ansah and Kalekeni Kaphale. None of this is the fault of the current MEC chair and commissioners (except those other two), they are just dealing with the situation that has been presented to them and I have no doubt that they will do a good job even in these circumstances.
    Yes, Jane Ansah might have gone but she’s not beyond blame, her name will be mentioned at every turn in the post-mortem of this sad chapter of Malawi history. I hope she get prosecuted.

  12. Game on! 23June tivotaso! Zake bakha uja Ali ku lockdown kkkk

    Logistics should not worry us so much because we were find a way around this.

    Macadet achina Jane Ansah, MBC, APM etc samafuna kuti chisankho chichitike

    We are ready to vote for TONSE ALLIANCE because it was here on the ground telling us what they would do for the country. They have been to all the districts and remotest areas in the north.

    💪💪💪💪💪💪💪

  14. What happened in Kenya gives us a good practical precedent. The second election was marred with numerous irregularities than the first one to an extent that Odinga just withdrew his candidature. Yes the courts hand given him a second chance but chimwene state machinery sizochezatu.

    Tiziwona

    1. Odinga withdrew because it was the same electoral commission that was tasked to conduct the fresh elections. If it was like allowing Mayi Madando to co duct the fresh elections

    3. Don’t fool people here. Odinga withdrew because government refused to reform Electoral and Boundaries Commission

  15. If the MEC Chair is pessimistic, then why proceed with the process? MEC should address the gaps before resources are wasted again.

  17. Usiskya can be reached on the same day. From Mzuzu to Usisya you do not take two days. From Mzuzu by road via Bula you will be talking of 4 hours or less.
    However, the suggestion is good to meet all political parties. That is laudable.

    1. You think electoral materials are produced in Mzuzu so that they can get to Usisya same day!

  18. I indicated earlier on that the election we are having on 23 June gave already been challenged in court because I of numerous irregularities that have marred them. The Courts in determining the May 2019 election case set a very bad precedence that will haunt them in future.

    2. I doubt it.
      I doubt we will have another mismanaged election that will need nullification.

  19. Lets move on. Professor Muthalika has been resisting this. Court ruled in February and gave MEC 150 days to prepare for elections, but because king Mutharika thought he is a real king not the president, he has been fighting against this. Now we have just few days to go, we cant claim we didn’t have time, we had lots of it, but our dear professor of law thought he is god. Lets vote and get out of this painful period . I don’t think professor Mutharika is enjoying running a country when everyone except his family and people who are looting know he is acting. Make it real professor, let us vote and win so that you are legitimate. Its good for you too professor

  20. Dr Kachale beware your reputation is also at stake, are you serious your MEC will have delivered the ballots to Usisya by 21 June? We have very hard to reach areas like east bank in chikwawa, or mlowe in rumphi where police officers have to get a boat or lift the polling materials across rivers. Already we will not have observers so zomwe muchitazi zayamba kale kununkha.

  21. Eyetu you only realise how deep the river is, once you get in. The irregularities will so many and so much. It took 4 years to prepare for the previous election.plus in Malawi you are always working on a very tight budget. Everything has to be cheap and constrained.

    1. If it Took 4 yrs to Deliver Tippex Elections then we have Very Incompetent People at MEC …It Takes Hours to Mess Up an Election if you have Integrity Issues….Just give Tippex and Bunches of Money the Night before the Election to some people and have them Distribute the Cash and Tippex to People handling the Election….It Does not Years to Mess up an Election…Just hours my friend…..

    2. Ngakhale DPP idzapite ku court after election azangotaya nthawi chifukwa oweluza milandu athu anyozedwa kwambiri ndi iwo,mudziwe zimenezi ma cadet.Kumatsata malamulo ndizofunika kwambiri,nthawi yakwana basi zinthu zisintha.

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