MEC pens Mutharika to hire new commissioners as contracts expire
Chief Elections Officer at the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Sam Alfandika, has written President Peter Mutharika to consider hiring new commissioners as the tenure of the current cohort expires on June 5 2020 while the chairperson Jane Ansah expires in October 2020.
Alfandika disclosed about writing Mutharika when he appeared before the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament to update it on the commission’s state of preparedness to conduct a fresh presidential election as ordered by the Constitution Court.
MEC scheduled July 2 2020 as the polling day.
Alfandika told the committee that MEC wrote President Mutharika last week, requesting him to appoint new commissioners.
“The new commissioners would have to be appointed with effect from 6th June 2020,” said Alfandika.
He said the new commissioners “may have little time to understand the process to complete the election.”
Commissioners will take home about K2.8 million in gratuity and a top-of-the-range Toyota Landcruiser VX they will buy at 90 percent less the cost price,
.According to their condition of service, the gratuity is pegged at 15 percent of the total earnings of honoraria for the tenure of office.
The conditions of service show that MEC commissioners were entitled K400 000 monthly honoraria while the chairperson drew K550 000 per month.
The total earning for each commissioner at the end of the term in June 2020 would be K19.2 million and 15 percent of the accrued amount would be K2 880 000. The MEC chairperson would walk away with K3 960 000.
The commissioners are expected to pay 10 percent for Toyota Landcruiser vehicles bought for them in 2016.
It’s a lucrative job for the commissioners who were also entitled to K10 million loans to buy one duty-free motor vehicle for personal use. The loan was to be deducted within the four-year period.
The chairperson and commissioners also get K15 000 and K10 000 sitting allowances, respectively, telephone and internet allowances of K20 000 and K15 000 for the chairperson and commissioners, respectively, and $250 and $200 for chairperson and commissioners.
The commissioners were also entitled to VIP Masm cover for themselves, spouse and up to four children and two dependants.
Further, the commissioners and the chairperson were entitled to 300 and 500 litres of fuel per month respectively, K50 000 and K60 000 hospitality allowance, respectively, and K400 000 and K500 000 furniture allowance at the beginning of each term of office.
The eight MEC commissioners also enjoyed monthly domestic servant allowances of K30 000 each, an armed police guard, three security guards and burglar alarm system for security as well as utility allowances of K30 000 for the chairperson and K25 000 for the commissioners.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
There is no way the country can develop with this kind of spending.Think about your hospitals you idiots.This make me sick
Now we know the real reasons why they wouldn’t resign after being found incompetent..
Incompetent MEC members care more about perks than the country.. Shame on you!
The job is involving. They deserve all these entitlements.
This is a strategy for these crooked commissioners and their master to fool Malawians for the extension of their term to run the election on the guise that if New Commisioners come they would not know how to manage the election. Sorry all must go including this unlearned educated lady lawyer Asahhh as no once is indispensable. In fact this election will use manual poll result management system so it will be very simple.
Mahule tsopano kuichosha, kuti itsike dolo
Please bwana consider me as a Commisioner. I deserve it and enjoy the benefits. Kukakamira pa mpando ndi pake with all these benefits
MYP to VX
It would be an unforgivable betrayal of the Nation were the same crop of Commissioners retained. APM must replace the whole team to win the people’s trust, unless, of course,.he is planning to rig the election again and bring disorder in the country. We are here talking about what Malawians, and not necessarily the opposition, want.
The problem at MASM is not the Staff but the CEO himself because others at the age of 50 years are denied the same facility enjoyed by commissioners at MASM. After all there same organizations in Malawi whose employment will not expiry until their death namely MASM, MCCCL , MAP etc.