Mutharika rules out firing Ansah as Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson

September 2, 2019 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 41 Comments

President Peter Mutharika has ruled out firing Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah as demanded by the opposition and rights activists, saying she has done nothing wrong.

President Mutharika greeted by MEC Chairperson Justice Jana Ansah SC at the inaguration ceremony at Kamuzu Stadium when he was declared winner of May 21 2019 elections-(c) Abel Ikiloni, Mana

In a rare interview with an international broadcaster on Monday, Mutharika said the demands to have Ansah fired or force are to resign are misplaced.

“It is not my job to ask her to step down. The African Union, the  Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc), UNDP, the US government all said the elections were fair, credible and transparent,” said Mutharika.

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) are organizing demonstrations countrywide to force Ansah resign following what they say were messy elections.

Ansah has unequivocally stated that she will not resign unless the court rules that there were irregularities in the elections..

Her contract with MEC expires in 2020. She is a judge at the Supreme Court of Appeal  in Malawi.

Section 75(4) of the Constitution—the supreme law of the land—states that a member of MEC may be removed from office by the President on the recommendation of the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) on grounds of incapacity or incompetence in the performance of duties of that office.

Mutharika said he sees no logic in holding the anti-Jane Ansah protests when the issue is before the courts.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera and UTM leader Saulos Chilima are challenging the May 21 presidential election results in court. MEC declared President Peter Mutharika the winner in the hotly contested election on May 27 amid protests of irregularities.

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41 replies on “Mutharika rules out firing Ansah as Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson”

    1. Do you know how many days are left for you. I agree his days are number so too are for everyone including yourself. We just do not know who is going first, Am afraid may be its you!. Let us help him perform his duties as he was duly elected unless the court rules an opposite way

  5. Well done APM! You are my man. Many thanks for saying all you said with the BBC. You are acting within the law and those that think you are breaching the law, let them drag you to court. Period!

    1. She is not even in the country. Aliku nottinghanm UK, honeymooning the rotten monies given by her thief boyfriend.

  8. Thats the reason why she isn’t resigning the president got her back. The international community errored to declare this as fair probably they had no clue what was happening under the MECs shady table but when the court vindicates the Anti ansah group then the International community should withdraw their statements immediately bcoz atipweteketsa with premature statements endorsing this thief.

  10. It’s not surprising cos if someone puts you on the throne then you pay back that particular person by firing him or her then its something else. Mutharika cant see anything wrong with Jane Ansah cos he benefited directly from her dishonesty. USA , EU & all those International Observers said the same thing in Kenya BUT the court found otherwise. How can one trust the International Observers who only deploy a handful Observers?????

  11. Munthalika ndiopusa kwambiri UNCEF AND SADIC or African union are they citizens of Malawi…this man is taking Malawians pa mtudzu… he rigged elections . He is not accepting asah to go.
    He has police ration deal.
    He covered up chaponda and uladi musa

    This man ndikadakhala mfiti ndikamulodza we are tired..

    Hospitals no medicine what he wants is kuba
    Uchitsilu yeti

  13. Of course he won’t fire her; to do so would be an admission that she messed up the election results and thereby put his position in doubt. He is determined to cling on to power come what may.

  16. Abwana anawa asakusowetseni mtendere masankho munawina ndiinu.iyi ndi sanje chabe a opposition . mwina pot mayiko ambiri amakukondani chithandizo mchosayamba dakuwonani ngati nawoso adzawakondaso pomwe sichoncho.bwana mukanakhala wankhaza ambiri bwezi chaka chimodxi ali mmanja ena kundende koma inu mulungu anakupatsani mtima wachifundo.asiyeni otsutsa kwao mkunyoza basi olo utampangira zabwino

  18. This is a stone age leader, one who does not move with the time. He is still using crude materials to rule this country. In other words, he lives in a different world of his own.

  20. Mpaka 2020? What will she be doing in between? We are letting the nation suffer just because of one woman who is clinging to power. Those international bodies who have mentioned to justify elections results would not do the same in their country. And if the same results declared MCP or UTM as winners you could have cried foul. You are indeed a Nutty Professor.

  21. Kkkkkkk zili kwathu ku Malawi madando 147 tippex kaya anamutenga kuti a MEC naonso alibe umboni kkkk wusani Mama munalembedwa ndi apitala munalipilana

    1. Malume tione nkhaniyi muchilungamo ….Langa ndi funso , kodi awa akumakamang’ala muma Court kut MEC inaulutsa zosemphana ndi mmene zinali pa ground zikumatha bwanji ?

    2. Iwe ndiye nyani wamkulu ndithu. Tawelenga section 75 (4) of the constitution ya Malawi kaye usanayambe kutukwana kwakoko.
      Mulungu akukukhululukire Luke Mapepa

  25. This man is misplaced, and not good for Malawi’s economic situation. As a beneficiary, he cannot fire MEC chair instead pay her for the job

  26. This guy has at no point tackled any contentious issue….never before has he seen the importance of being proactive. Why should anybody think that he can be proactive now? He will wait for others to come up with a solution

    1. So you are deliberately provoking him and creating a contentious issue to be proactive? No man, you cannot contend your “contentious issue” in a court of law (as a victim or petitioner) and on one hand deliver deliver a ‘mob justice’ verdict on the respondents, it just doesn’t work that way. Anzanuwa anakuwerengani kale strategy yanu, they cant fall into your trap. The constitutional court verdict is the only way forward in this ‘contentious issue’ madala chimanga, mwanva!?

    2. Pangani mademowo mmene mungafunire mpaka nselu. Ife tili kuma stand kuwonelera, ndi ufulu wanu. Mukatopa mutiuza.

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