HRDC plans operation shutdown Malawi Electoral Commission offices
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Timothy Mtambo has said they will hold nationwide demonstrations on Thursday to seal Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) offices to force its embattled chairperson Justice Jane Ansah and all Commissioners to resign following the Constitutional Court ruling that faulted MEC on the management of the May 21 2019 presidential election.
Addressing a news conference in Lilongwe on Monday, HRDC boss urged people to buy locks so that they seal off all offices of MEC.
On the Operation MEC Shutdown, Mtambo said the grouping will close down all the MEC offices countrywide to signify citizens’ disapproval of their commissioners’ continued stay at the institution.
Mtambo said Malawians expected the MEC chairperson Jane Ansah and her team to leave immediately after the Constitutional Court had nullified the May 21, 2019, presidential election.
“We are saying their [the commissioners] continued stay at the Commission is retarding the socioeconomic development of this country. We have stagnated for a long time. We won’t entertain this childishness anymore. We won’t allow Jane Ansah to oversee the next election,” he said.
“We have bought very big locks with which we will seal the offices of the MEC. Honestly, we can’t allow to be abused and tossed around by election fraudsters trading as commissioners,” added Mtambo.
However, Mtambo emphasized that the protests do not undermine the ongoing meeting between the Parliamentary Appointments Committee (PAC) and MEC commissioners.
Mtambo also said the coalition believes the meeting will bring good tidings to Malawians because “we all have trust the PAC will do the best job. We have confidence in the PAC”.
Livingstonia Synod of the CCAP has also added its voice to calls for the removal of MEC commissioners, demanding that a new commission be put in place to handle the fresh presidential election.
The High Court sitting as a Constitutional Court last week ruled in favour of Saulos Chilima, the first petitioner, and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera, the second petitioner, who challenged MEC’s decision to declare President Peter Mutharika winner of the controversial 2019 presidential election.
The court nullified the results and ordered a fresh election to be held after 150 days from the day of the ruling.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Just an invitation of more problems. Nobody stopped the opposition from appealing. Why should you stop MEC and Mutharika?????
Abale tamaganizani please. If you shut MEC down, fresh elections will only be delayed basi. How does that help us.
thats the way to go, we have been taken for granted for too long!!
Is there any guarantee that dpp cadets infiltrating these planned demos will not destroy the MEC infrastructure and thus rendering the anticipated re-run in 150 days more problematic. Please think hard! Let’s avoid shooting ourselves in the foot!
Malawi Law Society has damaged it’s image. They backed thieves as they did in 2014.
Very bad timing. The concourt ordered elections by June, MEC has appealed the decision which means they are not preparing for elections. Hrdc intends to shut down MEC. This is confusion, and ask who is continuing to benefit?
They are preparing while going to court FYI! shut down means they dont want the rotten staff going to work and new staff should come in to take up the roles for a fresh elections no one but dpp wants the thieves managing the elections for obvious reasons. Is that hard to understand?
Mumangidwapo za zii…..iyi muyiputa ndende….ndie kuli jekishoni kkkk
We dont need the MBEKI group coming to Malawi as tourists. They MUST NOT COME HERE AGAIN.
HDRC are Bullies. There is absolutely no reason to shut down MEC offices. Malawi Law gives MEC officials the right to appeal. They r Human beings too. Let the Law take its course. HDRC Plz take note -We are tired of Violence
Human beings have humanity! MEC is not loving Malawians nor Malawi! They need to apologise to the nation and step down, they already wasted our tax money! Appeal for breaking the PPE Act my foot! HDRC and the Five judges are heros that have not been thanked enough! Jane and Peter are thieves with law degrees plain and simple! its disgusting and have lost face. Fight for your rights Malawi VIVA HDRC!
In agreement. This is the only way citizen can show MEC our disapproval. Everyone thought the court ruling was enough for reasonable people to know that they have failed and are not wanted but alas, brutes at MEC cannot see or hear. I wonder what is blurring their vision and closing their ears if not corruption. These brutes obtain a big sum of money from DPP to the extent that they and DPP have same interests and are one