Malawi Electoral Commission gazettes June 23 voting day: Pessimistic on holding credible election
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it will publish in the Malawi Government Gazette, the official publication of legal notices, the June 23, 2020 as the date of voting for the court-sanctioned fresh presidential elections but has indicated the country should expect a lot of irregularities in view of the short period of time for preparations
In a statement on Thursday, newly appointed MEC Chairperson Dr, Chifundo Kachale, who has succeeded Justice Jane Ansah who stepped aside two weeks ago after the court found the commission incompetent said the electoral body is gazetting the polling day in compliance with the formal communication from the Clerk of Parliament dated June 9 2020 informing the Commission of the Parliamentary Resolution of the same date.
“The said communication indicated that this resolution was passed on the basis of the Supreme Court of Appeal decision of 8th May 2020 directing the House to appoint the date for the Fresh Presidential Polls,” reads the statement by Kachale, a judge of the High Court.
However, Kachale is very pessimistic as he said in the statement that the decision to publish the polling date has been arrived at with “considerable hesitation arising from the practicalities of holding genuine, credible elections in the view of logistical challenges that the commission anticipates in implementing steps towards the holding of the polls.”
Meanwhile, the electoral commission is promptly seeking to engage directly with all contesting presidential candidates to “appraise them of these anticipated challenges and to explore possible mitigation measures for the purpose of ensuring delivering of credible, free and fair elections per the relevant mandate for this ominous Fresh Presidential Election. “
Kachale, who was sworn in by Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda on Tuesday in Blantyre, has vowed to restore public trust which the electoral body lost during the May 2019 Tripartite Elections.
He was sworn in alongside six commissioners, namely Jean Mathanga, Linda Kunje, Arthur Nanthuru, Steve Duwa, Anthony Mukumbwa and Olivia Liwewe.
Kachale lauded by electoral stakeholders as a man of integrity, promised to deliver services that will earn the trust and confidence of the country’s citizens.
“We would like to do what is good for this nation because this process is very vital to build the political and governance systems of this nation and we would like to do that in a manner that the people of Malawi will respect the outcomes,” said the new MEC chairperson.
He observed that the commission is a constitutional body committed to holding regular, credible, fair and open elections, and it is its responsibility to ensure that the electoral process is conducted according to the prescription of the law to ensure that every stakeholder accepts the outcome.
The High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court on February 3 nullified the May 21 2019 presidential election over irregularities, especially in the results management system and ordered a fresh election within 150 days which expires on July 3. The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal on May 8 upheld the nullification.
However, the fresh election faces several legal and logistical challenges, including enabling laws and printing of ballot papers which is yet to be sanctioned.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
11 days to go before masankho a masanje. Waste of time and resources this will be a botched election.
I appeal to Malawians of good will to pray unceasingly for Chifundo Kachale, New MEC Chief because there already dark forces out there bent on corrupting him in whatever means if rumours circulating are anything to go by. We know experts in bribery have been holding clandestine meetings and are on the prowl with bundles or promises of good life if Kachale agrees to …
Let’s pray for him not to be misled. He is carrying a very heavy load of Malawians hopes for a better Malawi.
Go pray for your family out of poverty don’t waste your prayers
God is in control of this land mw
We wouldn’t be poor and the butt of the world. Kwazaza Satana Kumalawi.
Deleting all data at MEC And involve IT auditors whether the system is not hacked by the ruling as it is rumoured that HSA interviews systems were connected to NEC systems.
Ine pheee
Basi
Tivotanso nkhani ya bwino,pano tonse kulomwe belt tikufuna change tapusisidwa kwambiri.Tikukavotera Tonse alliance tiwona zina.Umphawi tatopanawo.Maka fertilizer wotchipayu ndiye ndikumufuna.
Musanamizile Lhomwe Belt. Ife ndiye eni ake a Lhomwe Belt kulibe TONSE alliance. Even UTM is booed in Lhomwe Belt
Its not APM, Ansah or MEC which has delayed this election. Its the supreme court which took 95 out of 150 days to deliver its ruling. One wonders what could have happened if the concourt was to rule fresh election to be done within the constitutional 60 days!
Voting on June 23rd will just be a waste of time and resources. There will be way too many irregularities than what was documented for the nullified 2019 Elections. Take it or leave it, in a Developing country Nobody can deliver free, fair and credible election in 12 days. We have too many hard to reach places in this country.
Interesting why the negative comments. Should we suspect a likely loser of the free for all beneficiary should the opposition succeed?
umangoziwilatu kuti izi mzakumtambo mtambo camp izi
To give enough time to the president could have instituted MEC in time. Why was he clinging to Ansah? We are tired we want change.
cadet usadandaule. Chisankho chikhala chopambana. Change has come. Limba mtima mbale.
Mr. Kachale. Please ensure a fair, free credible and well managed elections to avoid opposition being on your neck calling for your resignation. Opposition to them a fair election is one in which they win it. Anything less than it’s not a well managed election. They are are heading towards loss so take note of that in advance.
Above all take lesson from judge Mwangulu analysis of the Supreme Court judgement which has errors. MEC is a Court on its own and it has no obligation to pay costs to anyone.Chakwera akaluza akalipire yekha Mvalo wake
The same goes for DPP. Nobody else should win except DPP and they will put in place all impediments, such as rigging,, tolock the opposition
Don’t cheat here even voters know what is right. Mwatinamiza kokwana
Mapyiya, I can see you are now panicking. The time for you, as a cadet for DPP is fast approaching an end. In a fair and transparent election, DPP and its alliance cant win. They have destroyed Malawi in all aspects, including democratic principles, rule of law, governance, and above all, ruled the country and promoted development based on tribal and regionalism. Look at how fat DPP ministers are, stealing and over-eating in a land of poverty and hunger. These people are evil, stealing money that should go for the development of the country, especially in the neglected regions and… Read more »
KKKK komadi akalipila yekah kkk
Now it is your time to be in the spotlight Dr. Kachale. Koma logistically it will be an uphill task to hold credible elections koma paja amati tsache lanyuwani limasesa moyela tiziwona umo muchitile. Ntchito ilipo ife tikufunilani zabwino zonse