Ansah says Malawi fresh presidential election calendar on course

Embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah has moved in swiftly to assure that the Constitutional Court sanctioned fresh presidential election will be held on May 19, 2020, saying all preparations are on course.

Ansah said this on Friday in Blantyre on the sidelines of the announcement of Liwaladzi local government by-election results of Balaka.

Her comments come just 75 days before the voting day amid concerns from both political parties and other electoral stakeholders that delays to fire the current MEC commissioners as are by the Constitutional Court and parliament’s Public Appointments Committee might affect the electoral calendar.

“Everything is on course. As soon as we launch the fresh presidential election, we will unveil the electoral calendar,” she said.

MEC has set March 10, 2020 as the date for the registration of new voters, those who are 18 or will turn 18 on the voting day and all those who failed to register on the last voter registration exercise in the run up to the May 21, 2019 tripartite elections.

President Peter Mutharika’s spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said the President has 21 days since he got the electoral reform bills last Thursday on whether to assent to them or not.

If he assents to the bills, then he will fire the commissioners, the current source of political impasse in the country, attracting sometimes violent protests.

All the commissioners have refused to step down.