Despite Malawi government’s talk about not having resources to run tripartite elections, the European Union (EU) has said it has the funds ready to the tune of 1.5 million Euros to support the 2014 elections including local government polls. Malawi’s President Joyce Banda declared that government would not afford to hold three elections in 2014 while […]
Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has expressed disappointment with President Joyce Banda and her People’s Party government for showing lack of political will to hold the long-awaited Local Government Election (LGE) in 2014. Malawi was expected, for the first time since the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1994, to hold tripartite elections in 2014 […]
Malawi President Joyce Banda says she does not have K4.6 billion to fund by-elections if Speaker of Parliament apply of Section 65 of the Constitution. To declare vacant seats of prostituting MPs. Banda made remarks at Chikoko Bay State Lodge when she met villagers around the lodge on Sunday. Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it […]
Malawi’s vice president Khumbo Kachali recently warned that there was a price to pay for those members of parliament advocating for evocation of section 65, which would mean that the Speaker of the house declare vacant seats of parliamentarians that have left Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and join the ruling People’s Party (PP). However, Kachali’s […]
The Malawi Electoral Commission has a new chief elections officer. He is Willie Kalonga. Kalonga served at the EC for so many years and was once head of electoral services and rose to the rank of deputy chief elections officer. He replaces David Bandawe who was sent to the diplomatic mission in Zambia. Kalonga became the […]
James Nyondo, who contested in 2009 as independent presidential candidate announced on Thursday that he will contest again in 2014 this time under National Salvation Front (NASAF). Nyondo told a news conference in Blantyre that his government will bring solutions to the problems rocking the country because the previous governments have failed since it is […]
Implementing the law that regulates MPs on crossing the floor, Section 65, on legislators who have en masse joined People’s Party (PP) of President Joyce Banda will be catastrophic on the country’s ailing economy, treasurer general for PP, Brown James (BJ) Mpinganjira, has warned. Over 40 former ruling Democratic Progressive Party MPs who jumped ship […]
Chief Justice Lovemore Munlo on Monday presided over the swearing in of new Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Commissioners at the High Court in the commercial capital, Blantyre, calling on them to exercise total independence and diligence to duty. “Most of you are senior citizens; you have previously held important public offices and that it would […]
The Young Politicians Union (YPU) says youths will challenge the established political leadership for posts during the 2014 tripartite elections. YPU Deputy National Director David Katete said this in interview on the sidelines of a three day training workshop for YPU members in Rumphi district. The meeting that pulled together 50 participants drawn across Rumphi […]
All major political parties and social commentators have hailed Malawi’s first female President Joyce Banda for the inclusive way in which she has appointed the new Commissioners for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). With powers vested in her by the Malawi Constitution, State President Banda on the 19th of May 2012 appointed 10 Commissioners to […]
Parliamentary chief whip of the former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Symon Vuwa Kaunda has contradicted the party House leader Dr George Chaponda on for querying President Joyce Banda on the appointment of the new Commissioners for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). When he responded to the State of the Nation address in Parliament on […]
In Europe and America, from where we imported democracy, it is illegal for a candidate to give money or gifts to the electorate. This is tantamount to buying votes, which is corruption. In America, voters give money to their favourite candidates, not the other way round. Here at home, oftentimes our politicians buy the election, […]
OPPOSITION parties are a necessary though weak part of the democratic dispensation in Malawi. For they are essentially weak, they tend to be visible only when the government of the day is on the wrong side of governance. For this reason, it should not be an unusual then that for some time now the opposition […]
Young Politicians Union (YPU), a loose coalition of youths belonging to different political parties in Malawi, has asked political parties in Malawi to release their 2014 manifestos earlier so that people should understand them. The Union also called upon parties to hold conventions so that members have a chance to elect leaders of their choice. […]
“Zinthu zasintha mu mpikisano wa Kojak!” is an announcement that old-timers like me, recall with some nostalgia. In the good old days of innocence, it was a very important announcement. Hearing this on MBC Radio, was enough motivation for us to summa celeritate (with maximum speed) stop playing a game of marble (mabo) or “mpira […]
Tembo: We will not allow rigging this time around Malawi Leader of Opposition, John Tembo, has cautioned President Bingu wa Mutharika against plotting to rig the 2014 presidential elections that will be held simultaneously with parliamentary and local government polls. Tembo said President Mutharika‘s inaction on the appointment of the Commissioners to run the Malawi […]
The recent Newstime Africa report which has accused Malawi’s ruling party of using government funds for the running of its affairs highlights yet another blight spot on Malawi politics and in particular the lack of checks and balances on public spending. The report itself will not surprise many Malawians most of whom already suspect that […]
Malawi opposition lawmaker Atupele Muluzi on Sunday barnstormed the Eastern region with a whistle-stop rallies, defining his much touted ‘agenda for change’ which he said is a platform for his new generation. Thousands of people lined the route from Blantyre to Machinga to have a glimpse of the youthful UDF presidential hopeful on his first […]