Rights group calls for Ansah resignation at Malawi Electoral Commission

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called for the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair Jane Ansah within 14 days following the pollster failure to manage election results, accusing her of presiding over an election marred by fraud and lack of credibility.

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said MEC’s management of the May 21 highly contentious tripartite election leaves a lot to be desired.

“She should resign within 14 days. The use of [correction fluid] Tippex on election result sheets was a gross irregularity,” said Mtambo.

Mtambo said some of MEC staff were the ones who used Tippex.

He also said MEC needed to deal with all poll related complaints within 14 days.

“After looking at all these cases, we have decided that Dr. Ansah must go, she has failed to do her job as MEC chair,” said Mtambo.

In a letter to the electoral body, dated June 4 2019 seen by Nyasa Times and signed by Mtambo and Gift Trapence, among others, the HRDC are threatening to take action against Ansah if she refuses to abdicate from MEC.

HRDC has since delivered the letter to MEC and Ansah has been served.

The embattled MEC chairwoman could not immediately comment.

However, during the announcement of the presidential results, Ansah said MEC gave all political parties scanned results sheets from polling stations so that they can also cross-check with their monitors.

Both Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM Party are challenging the election results and have since gone to court to seek a rerun of the poll.