Ansah still in charge of Malawi elections,  issues stern warning

Embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah  co tinues to take charge of the electoral body despite  calls for her to resign for allegedly compromising herself and mismanaging the May 21 Tripartite Elections  and has since warned against violence ahead of by-elections in Lilongwe South Constituency and Liwawadzi ward in Balaka District on January 30 and March 5, 2020 respectively.

Ansah, a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, 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.

The Constitutional Court  are expected this month end  to determine the case in which Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM Party’s Saulos Chilima are disputing the President Peter Mutharika re-election in May 2019 polls.

High Court of Malawi judges Healey Potani, Ivy Kamanga, Dingiswayo Madise, Redson Kapindu and Mike Tembo make up the five-judge Constitutional Court panel who heard the case and will deliver the judgement.

Ansah  has defiantly proved that she is personally alright and leading a normal life,  take charge of the Lilongwe South Constituency by-election originally scheduled for November 5 2019  but postponed due to volatile political environment in the aftermath of the May 21 Tripartite Elections and complaints lodged by stakeholders, including  Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  candidate for the constituency, Frank Mazizi.

The MEC chairperson  said the resumption of the electoral process follows an assurance from chiefs and other stakeholders that the elections would be peaceful.

“The commission met all stakeholders through the Centre for Multiparty Democracy. Everyone expressed concern and deep regret with the violence that marred the process. They all assured the commission that they will engage their subjects on the need to maintain law, peace and order during elections,” she said on Monday.

She issued  a stern warning that the commission will not tolerate any acts that will jeopardise the process of holding a free, fair credible and peaceful election.

“Anyone found engaging in such acts will be barred from participating in the electoral process,” said Ansah.

She said official campaign period for the Lilongwe South by-election will close on January 28 whereas results of the elections are expected to be announced on January 31.

The by-election in Liwawadzi Ward, on the other hand, follows the death of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councillor, Thomson Thomas Bwanali on October 25 last year.