Ansah still defiant, won’t resign: ‘Leading a normal life’
Embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah is not tendering her resignation despite mounting pressure for her to step aside over alleged fraud since President Peter Mutharika’s May re-election.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) with backing from opposition parties have said they will engage extra gear for twice-a-week street action to force Ansah, a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, to resign for allegedly compromising herself and mismanaging the May 21 Tripartite Elections and purportedly favouring President Peter Mutharika.
But MEC sources said depiste the country being ripped apart, Ansah remains the electoral body’s chairperson and emphatically denying that he would resign.
Ansah herself said she is personally alright and leading a normal life despite the nation burning for her to go.
She described accusations of her personal bias as unfounded and baseless.
Ansah rejected any calls for her to resign on principle, saying she will wait for the court’s judgement on the matter to decide whether to call it quits.
She described nationwide demonstrations demanding her resignation as “mob justice”.
Ansah defiance could stem from the fact that the appointing authority could be rallying behind her.
Some governance analysts have said Ansah’s position at MEC has become technically untenable in the face of growing calls for her resignation.
“If what is happening in the country regarding the role of the MEC chair was happening in a country where democracy and governance systems were strong, Justice Ansah would have stepped down on her own long ago,” noted governance analyst Henry Chingaipe.
Ernest Thindwa, a political commentator based at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, said he believed that Ansah’s status as MEC chairperson was no longer safe.
He said: “Whether what she did was right or wrong, her position is untenable.
“The significance of the issues that some people have raised, including the position by the court to validate the petition by Malawi Congress Party [MCP] and UTM, shows that the concerns are genuine.
“In my view, perception matters most and that the best thing Justice Ansah would do is to honourably resign.”
Ansah has become the second MEC chairperson to face resignation calls after the late William Hanjahanja who tendered his resignation in May 1999 amid pressure from electoral stakeholders.
Then president Bakili Muluzi replaced Hanjahanja, who cited health grounds as reasons for his resignation within weeks to the 1999 elections, with Supreme Court Judge James Kalaile.
Stakeholders accused Hanjahanja of poor leadership, but the commission said medical doctors had given him a two-week bed rest after treating him for malaria and high blood pressure.
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Is drinking TIPPEX normal life ? Are you madando 147 Peter human ?
Akuti ” She’s leading a normal life” kkkkkk you wish, munthu akukhalira kugona uku ndi uku kuli kuthawa, and you call that a nomal life???
EVEN THOSE THAT ABORT PREGNANCIES ARE ALWAYS DEFIANT LIKE SHE IS DOING BUT KNOW THE TRUTH OF KILLING.
Justice Ansah cannot resign on the basis of the whims of opposition parties who lost the elections that she presided over and their paid up mercenary HRDC of Mutambo and Trapence. Never. Bring the evidence base against her.
mbuli ina iyooooooo
Indeed, these vigilants are out of order. this country can not be governed by vigilant justice. people have been demanding for Trepence and Sembereka to resign as they have no moral ground to continue having been involved in theft of funds for AIDS seminar. Ntambo also has shown that he is an agent of the MCP.
The name Jane Ansah is damaged. No sane a person can cling to an appointed position like this old woman is doing
Give it to them, Justice Ansah. Give it to them good. And you have no compromising on the principle of innocent until proven guilty in a Court of Law.
And, them, these tribalists, to be sure, to think that because you are a woman, ndiinu offoka – STUPID!
See if the message now will get through their thick skulls; these thugs.
You have a job to do … and a life to lead too. And continue doing BOTH. Majority of the country, and the law is behind you baasi.
Bodza, She has lost trust in majority of Malawians. Democracy is about Majority. She is lying to say she is leading a normal life. The fact that she is heavily secured by PMF and that her relations do not see her freely, is a sign that her life may be full of stress and depression
Madam Jane Ansah, DO NOT RESIGN. You are innocent until proven guilty. There’s no basis for calls for you to resign. Until the constitutional court proves otherwise, cloae your eyes and stay strong. There are many of us not even DPP followers, who are behind you.
Mfiti yaikazi eishhhh
Her life is indeed not normal, the rumour is that she may not even be in Malawi right now. It is sad that her behaviour will affect those with a conscience like her children and other family members. As for her forget it, she has been leading a crooked life for a long time and even her conscience died a long time ago.
Her shield is weakening & in the of light it most pretenders are fearful of the unknown. She must sober up that her ship is sinking & my advise to her jump out before it’s too late.