Parliament to set exact date for Malawi fresh elections
Emotionally charged participants to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) organised national electoral consultative forum have told parliament to set an exact date for the presidential election within the 150 days ordered by the Constitutional Court.
The high levelNational Elections Consultative Forum (Necof) meeting in Mangochi on Wednesday, amid uncertainty on when exactly the poll would be held after M embattled MEC chairperson Jane Ansah gave two conflicting dates.
Ansah, a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, said: Following the Supreme Court’s clarification, we counted 8 days backwards from July 2, 2020 which is the 149th day from February 3, 2020 when the Constitutional Court made the ruling, and we ended up with June 23, 2020 as a tentative date for the election.”
Earlier, MEC said the poll would be held on July 2 but on Wednesday, Ansah changed tune, saying the poll would be held on June 23. She later said it was parliament which is mandated by law to set the date for an election.
People’s Party (PP) secretary general Ibrahim Matola accused MEC of confusing people by giving them different dates for the election.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said MEC was deliberately causing the confusion so as to delay the election so that President Peter Mutharika continues to cling to power.
The participants, however , agreed later that MEC needed expert advice on the matter.
They said parliament should reconvene as soon as possible to set the date for the poll and pass the other electoral laws to enable the smooth running of the Constitutional Court sanctioned presidential election.
While admitting that there was no “perfected, sealed and binding judgment” available, Ansah said the Commission was basing its proceedings on the orders contained in the May 08 Supreme Court judgment which she said would remain the same.
“The Supreme Court Judge said the judgment needs to be perfected in terms of spellings and grammatical errors and that it will be served within seven days,” Ansah observed.
“But we had our lawyers present in the Court who were taking notes which we are using,” she added and continued: “What you should know is that the orders in the judgment will remain the same and the date will remain May 8, 2020.”
But Sunduzwayo Madise, dean of law at Chancellor College—a constituent college of the University of Malawi, sargues that the electoral body has powers to set the date for the fresh election in the same way it sets dates for by-elections for parliamentary and local government elections.
“MEC has powers to set dates just like they do with by-elections when a member of Parliament or ward councillor dies,” said Madise.
Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani-Hara ha said consultations with the President are in progress for the National Assembly to meet for this year’s budget session.–Additional reporting by Kondwani Magombo
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Just resign Jane Ansah,Mukukakamira sichina ayi, mukufuna kuberanso mavote mwayalukatu.Supreme court should not accept you as a judge.You don’t deserve to be a judge but a DPP cadet. MALAWIANS REMEMBER TO WEAR MASKS IN PUBLIC PLACES. SAVE LIVES.
We should not hear that the life span of these tippex members of parliament has been extended to six years. That will be illegal. Parliament should shorten the life span of the presidency to four years so that it ends concurrently with the life of parliament.
Ashy elbow Jane khakamira-where-not-wanted Ansah
If hon chakwera won the tippexed election
Why does he want to pair with someone else
Are laws made in court
MCP know they lost
If they really won they could not change the running mate
Whatever the decision the polls MUST not be managed by Ansah. She has backtracked from July 2 because she will have retired and fears she would not rig for APM by then. Please stick to the original date.
Empty tin
Supreme court ruling says “it is important that parliament fixes the of a fresh election.”
This is the worst mec chair since the dawn of multiparty system of government but this time they will yield nothing UTMCP alliance will carry the day
Eggs are not chickens my friend. Stop counting
Whatever DPP leaders are doing with this delay tactics will not help them.People are ready to vote even next week.Tsiku lina Jane Ansah ………Do not take malawians for granted.What are the possibilities of DPP and UDF alliance winning the presidential election if people votes on 23 June? And what are the possibilities of Tonse alliance losing on the same day?And what are the possibilities of Tonse alliance winning the election on 23 June or on 2 July and what are possibilities for DPP and UDF alliance losing the election? I think the Tonse alliance are going to win this election… Read more »
Go and read Supreme court ruling. It says parliament should set the date.
Don’t assume to talk on behalf or all Malawians. If we take the previous numbers from the last poll, there are a lot of people who don’t want Chakwera and Chilima than those that don’t want Apm. Ansah is simply following the courts ruling like you all wanted.
CADET
CONFUSING THINGS DELIBERATELY, VOTING HAS TO FALL WITHIN 150 X DAYS, ANOUNCING RESULTS CANNOT ONLY BE WITHIN THE 8 X DAYS AFTER VOTING BUT ALSO OUTSIDE THE 1450 X DAYS SET BY CONCOURT.
SIMPLY PUT, WE DON’T THE CURRENT COMMISIONERS TO HANDLE THESE ELECTIONS FROM VOTING ONWARDS!!!!
Be careful Malawians will get stranded in South Africa always