Five so called minor political parties in the May 20 presidential race have petitioned the British High Commission over what they describe as British interference in the political affairs of the country and facilitating rigging process in the way the commission is handling elections debates. The political parties are the Peoples Progressive Movement (PPM), the United Independence Party (UIP), Mafunde, […]
Malawi will hold the first ever tripartite elections on 20th May 2014. Having held, read and observed the reactions of different people from different regions and districts, I have been compelled to draw up some conclusions basing on various assumptions. The current cash gate and jet gate scandals will surely greatly bruise Peoples Party image. […]
Presidential candidate for Chipani Cha Pfuko during the May 20 election, Davis Chester Katsonga says the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) should forget about its call for the clean campaign period during forthcoming official campaign unless it rectifies an anomaly in the law that governs what one can say during the campaign period. MEC has of late been […]
They say you have to be in it to win it, right? All the leading political parties in Malawi have fielded a presidential candidate for the 20th May 2014 elections. There are no major political party alliances or coalitions as it was the case in the last two elections. This could either mean that confidence […]
Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) vice president Richard Msowoya has accused the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) of dragging its feet on allegations that ruling People’s Party (PP) is enticing voters to sell their voter registration cards. Many PP officials including its deputy campaign director Ken Zikhale Ng’oma have been reportedly demanding registration voter card serial numbers in […]
University of Malawi political science professor Ernest Thindwa says the presidential running mate debate conducted over the weekend has exposed serious weaknesses in the running mates, which he says need to be addressed if their parties are to be voted into power. Commenting on the conduct of the debate which private radio Zodiak Broadcasting Station […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) vice president Richard Msowoya has urged Malawians to vote for his party in May 20 elections, saying the polling is an opportunity for people to reject the culture of wrongful self-enrichment by political leaders. Msowoya speaking in a brief closing remarks during The Question Time live debate of Vice Presidential nominees […]
Presidential running mates of the four front-runners in the May polls are set to meet for a public debate organised by private broadcaster Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) on Saturday March 8 at Bingu International Conference Centre in the capital Lilongwe . The running mates, according to ZBS managing director Gospel Kazako, are expected to discuss […]
From the outset, let me state that if there is a presidency I did not appreciate as much, since we assumed political pluralism, it was Bakili Muluzi’s second tenure in office. What broke the camel’s back was his desperate attempt to attack the Constitution and bulldoze himself on us under the guise of open terms […]
The forthcoming tripartite election will be hit by low participation of women in the parliamentary race in Lilongwe according to the figures that have been released by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), a development which some quarters have described as worrisome. The figures released by the electoral body on March 4, 2014 show that out of […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Dr Jessie Kabwila has been disqualified as parliamentary candidate for Salima North West in the forthcoming May 20 Tripartite Elections., Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has just published nomination results. In the MEC list, Kabwila name is not appearing and the electoral body confirmed she has been rejected on grounds that […]
I was inspired to write this article after reading an opinion by Nadia Rabesehala Horning on the just ended Madagascan elections in the New African Edition of December 2013. Her opinion is a critical analysis on whether elections are important. She argues that, “having elections is probably better than having none; however, she goes on to caution […]
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) would win any award hands down when it comes to bias in its political coverage. One of the main reasons is that the executive arm of government, which in Malawi is hardly different from the ruling party, remains the main appointing authority at the institution. Perhaps this is why the state […]
With only a few weeks remaining before the launch of official campaign for May, 20 tripartite elections, District Commissioner for Chitipa has asked party district Governors and other stakeholders in the district to champion the cause of clean campaign as a way of curbing political violence. The DC, Grace Chirwa who is also the Chairperson […]
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) confirmed the arrest of its temporary data entry clerk Hanif Mbwetula for stealing a hard drive but said it did not contain voters roll as speculated. Chief Elections Officer Willie Kalonga said the hard disk was stolen on Saturday and police apprehended Mbwetula who was working as Temporary Data Entry Clerk. Kalonga […]
“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard So the die is cast, eleven people will battle it out for keys to Plot No. 1. As I said last week, we have four serious wannabes in this race; the rest are ‘also runs’. So how do the Big Four stand? Let us […]
Malawi’s development partners have poured staggering amounts of aid into the country which unfortunately remains stagnant, that is the view of the chief of European Union Delegation to Malawi Alexander Baum, according to the Daily Times of February 19. “Everyone focuses on elections as if they solve all the problems. Elections are overestimated. Of course, […]
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has approved 11 presidential candidates who presented their nomination papers but refused Umodzi Party (UP) presidential candidate Professor John Chisi. Section 51 of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act obliges the Malawi electoral body to publish names of validly nominated candidates for presidential election within seven days from the last day […]