Malawi pollster says 50-plus-1 electoral law needs massive political will
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says the change from the current first-past-the-post and adopts a 50 per cent plus one law to ensure that the winner of presidential elections enjoyed majority support needs massive political will if the legislation is to be changed ahead of the 2019 general election.
Chief elections officer for MEC, Willie Kalonga, told a high level national task force on electoral reform for the centre that the change would necessitate legislation change on election laws.
“This is a highly contested issue as some people want it, others don’t want it. It will take a political will to pass this law. It will be up to parliamentarians to pass this into law,” said Kalonga.
Kalonga’s response came after a heated debate on the issue with Mtambo of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) claiming the 50 plus one system would stop politicians from banking on tribal or regional votes but would crisscross the whole country instead canvassing for votes in their home base only.
Another rights activist Billy Mayaya claimed it was only Bakili Muluzi who had a 50 percent of the votes in 1994 at the dawn of multiparty but in the subsequent election years, the presidents have been winning a threshold of 30 percent making them literally tribal leaders.
Malawi’s interfaith organization, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) have recognised that 50 per cent plus one rule guarantees the leader acceptable, popular, majoritarian mandate.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika was declared the winner of Malawi’s May 20, 2014 presidential election after defeating Joyce Banda.
Mutharika, the brother of former president Bingu wa Mutharika, took 36.4 percent of the votes cast, Lazarus Chakwera of MCP garnered 27.8 percent of the vote and Banda’s 20.2 percent
Mutharika got votes mainly from the Lomwe belt of southern Malawi while Chakwera polled more votes from the Chewa belt of central region.
MEC Commissioner Emmanuel Chimkwita said similar meetings would be held in Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu whose findings would be sent to Law Commission which will in turn form a special commission that will scrutinise the proposed laws before sending them to parliament.
The special law commission will also hold its meetings to solicit views from people on the proposed laws, Chimkwita Phiri said.
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50+1 is not the answer. If you poll less than 50% the people have spoken accept the result and form a coalition government. The current system and 50+1 deliver the same thing and that’s a ruling party that governs like a one party state. Germany and more than half of the other European Union countries have coalition governments. We need change not more of the same one party rule.
ENANU U cm not to know that in 50+1 arrangement, its only the top who candidates who compete again and not all the rest chose who of the two to support. In 2014, peter and chakwera would hv competed in 2nd round. As such they would hav coaxed the remaining candidates eg jb,atupele,katsonga,nyondo etc to tell their supporters to vote 4 them.
Going by the 2014 results and 50+1 rule, MCP would have pocketed PP’s votes. They could have then scored 48% and DPP would have scored 50+1. Regional politics will still carry weight.
JB + Chakwera = 50%
And jb wil not best atupele in 2019, apm wil get more votes just bcoz he z ruling, so luzers plz plz make sure u plan beta before advocating for more frustrating system
50+1makes sense, or indeed at least minu
Imum 65% in each region,zen lets perhapx allos our pafldmdm
Ntarians chose our presedeng on trust for thd pipo,pronlm sigh current is that one past the msrk first wins is wrong because mamority vote foes not mean moraly right or acceptable, Thnk you!!
Not even worth trying, it will bring chaos. we need sober minds when coming up with lifetime decisions for the Nation. Not with hate and emotions malice and prejudice!!! zidzbweretsa chisokonezo. anthu saangapitenso ku campaign kawiri nkudzavotaso. imagine ali ku state house ataoneratu kuti change palibe zinthu zidzayenda??? akukunamizaniyo apweteketsa dziko lanthu abale. tiyeni tikonde dziko lathu. mamvera vera kupasula. zoona Nzeru za a Mayaya?
uwu mbuchindele, kupaanga malamulo targeting at people you hate, or chifukwa chopindulapo as an individual nkusakonda dziko. zoona a MALAWI dziko mufuna kuseweretsa ngati sanza? inu zi antchembere gandule ngati mwatopa, Chinkhwita, ndi anzanu nkhalamba inu musaononge dzikolabwinoli poti inu nthawi yanu yakutherani. zoona muja zinalili polengeza nthawi ija amyi ataluza, akukanilira ku state house, wina akuona ngati wawina, kenaka anthu kumapitaso ku campaign kukavota? kodi azunguwa akunyererani mmakutu ndi mmaso? kufuna kudathe ngati ku Egypt azitebere ife tikulimbana kusankha president???? kodi chopambana zedi nchani?? kodi u president a Malawi ndiwo utionongere dziko? tisiye kukonda dziko lanthu< ana athu ,… Read more »
Point of correction. It is only Bingu Mutharika who was voted with the majority votes, 65% in 2009
50+1 is only solution of ur current promblems of bing governed by pple of the same family,ethnic & region this stupid voting pattern should be put to end
50%+1 is the way to go. The top two contenders should give out the best choice with a national, not regional outlook. And its not a wonder to see the second placed contender emerging the winner in a run off.