Make Malawi Electoral Commission funding a protected vote – Rev Chimkwita
Outgoing head of Electoral Services at the Malawi Electoral Commissioner (MEC) has advised government to make the pollster have a protected vote so that the electoral process is not interrupted.
Reverend Emmanuel Chimkwita Phiri, who leaves office on Tuesday along with other commissioners, said during his tenure of office, the electoral boday faced unprecedented lack of funding which crippled some of its activities.
“An election is a process. We start preparations for an election years before the actual day of voting this is why we have a calendar of events which we implement every month or every year so without funds, all the events are crippled,” he said.
He said the only way to ensure smooth funding is to make the MEC funding a protected vote.
Chimkwita Phiri said it was a very bad experience that after the MEC budget was approved by parliament, MEC had to go to treasury begging for money and in most cases the money was not released.
He said making MEC funding a protected vote would force the government give MEC all the money in the budget at once so that it implements projects without problems.
Rev Chinkwita said MEC depended much on donors for its activities, saying this was not supposed to be the case.
The outgoing commissioner also said there was need for the government to release money for biometric registration.
“This type of registration is very important to avert electoral fraud. Malawi is the only country in Sadc not registering its citizens through biometric,” he said.
Chimkwita Phiri asked President Peter Mutharika to appoint new commissioners as soon as the old ones leave office in order not to disrupt the electoral calendar and activities.
“We were appointed 19 months before the elections, this was not good because we did not have ample time to prepare for the elections on time. An election is a process, it is not the voting day only,” he said.
MEC chairman Maxon Mbendera will continue in his capacity until October.
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Nzeru zimabwera munthu ukumwalira. Nthawi yonseyi munali kuti Abusa? Ndalama zabedwa zambiri diverting MEC funds into personal account for easy siphoning of funds. Shame!! Kubera mavoti kuti Peter awine… zachisoni kwabasi. RIP old MEC. Drawing allowances for fictitious foreign trips. Ai mwalemera.
Mufuna mubetso ndani pano ali tolo
tsiku lina kuzakucherani agalu inu.
Ukumati walawira azanu, makape
nunonse
I think its if MRA COLLECTS MONEY FOR CURRENT BUDGET,THEY HAVE TO COLLECT MONEY FOR THE NEXT BUDGET THAT WAY OUR BUDGET WILL BE REAL NOT ASSUMPTIONS AS IS NOW.
you are good for nothing go to hell…..
a chinkwita mwadyatu ma kobidi mwalemera mpakana God is good
Amenewo anamuika president pampando Mdi ma court especially nyirenda, panopa I’ve amalawi tikumvutika kwambiri ndi ulamulirowu.mulungu akukuonani ndipo akadalikukuonani, mulape Kaye kuti mulungu akukhululukireni zikomo.
EMMANUEL CHINKWITA,
YOU ARE JUST GOOD FOR NOTHING AND JUST GO AND PONDER ON YOUR NEXT MOVE.
Mbava
Your views Mr Reverend are not made in true faith. They are coming after you have mercilessly plundered the resources at MEC. You benefitted quite alot and would want now to put tight strings so that whosoever comes at MEC should find it difficult to steal the money. Its a total shame the way MEC commissioners operated, they were there to satisfy their wishes. You have used our taxes for your own benefit. Go thee well Chimkwita and your colleagues we dont want you again..
There is a need to enlighten you Emmanuel Chinkwita Phiri. The Malawi parliament just approves figures and not cash. After approving those figures, the treasury waits for the MRA to collect whatever they get and deposit it into Account # 1. It should be emphasized here that the MRA does not collect a lump sum at once. Thus, the treasury gets the budgeted money in pieces and not a lump sum. Therefore, no any other government department can expect to get their budgetary allocation as a lump sum. I hope this will help to reduce ignorance in your skull.