The credibility, reputation and integrity of some international observers who assessed the conduct of the first ever tripartite elections in Malawi between May 20 and 23, 2014, may have been irreparably damaged following serious errors of assessment of the electoral process. While the European Union (EU) said in its preliminary report that voting was done […]
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says it does not want to recount the votes because most of the ballot boxes have been tampered with, some even damaged and insisted a recount would be an insult to the electoral process therefore calling for results to be announced and its leader sworn-in. DPP leader Peter Mutharika, who […]
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has attributed the numerous irregularities registered in the last week’s Tripartite Elections to Clerks and Returning Officers who are suspected to have deliberately flouted the procedures. MEC said it will prosecute every one of them who had a hand in creating the irregularities such as bloated numbers of casted votes or […]
Media organisations in Malawi have made a strong appeal to stakeholders in the electoral system to support the effort the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is taking in resolving the standoff rocking the announcement of the May 20 tripartite elections. Malawi went to polls on May 20 to vote for the president, parliamentarians and councilors but […]
The 2014 tripartite elections seem to have confirmed one thing for me. We are far from the ideal political system that ensures that all are heard and even protected. The idealists will argue that democracy ensures the protection of minority rights against abuse of the majority. I would like to suggest that nothing could be […]
“From the streets of Cairo and Arab Spring, to Occupy Wall Street, from the busy political calendar to the aftermath of the Tsunami in Japan, social media was not only sharing news but driving it,” Dan Rather. I have no doubt social media is an important tool. I agree that it is a catalyst for […]
High Court Judge Healey Potani has granted New Labour Party (NLP) president Friday Jumbe and several independent candidates including Allan Ngumuya leave to commence contempt proceedings against Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair Justice Maxon Mbendera and all commissioners for going on with vote recount when the Judge had earlier ruled MEC’s results can only be […]
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of People (Cedep) has advised local and international observers to refrain from dragging Malawians into accepting that the tripartite elections have been free, credible and fair as has been observed when the reality on the ground clearly shows a different picture. In a statement […]
One of the local radios that were appointed by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as official broadcasters of the 2014 tripartite election Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) says it owes no one an apology for announcing election result that many people believe were fake. Speaking soon after the MEC chairperson Maxon Mbendera announced the commencement of […]
Malawi’s interfaith organization, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has met four main contenders in the presidential elections on their concerns over last week’s polls currently under dispute following numerous registered irregularities. The presidential candidates PAC has met are Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president, Lazarus Chakwera, United Democratic Front (UDF) leader, Atupele Muluzi, Peter Mutharika of Democratic […]
In an evening news conference Monday, May 26th., Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair Maxon Mbendera assures that a recount will be done in the 58 poling stations which registered more than a 100% filled ballots. I think he needed to go further. Clearly his team will be recounting the same more-than-100%-ballots. They can’t, and wont, […]
In a shock move, Malawi’s President Joyce Banda tried to annul her country’s elections this weekend, saying they were too flawed to be allowed to stand. Some saw this as the act of a wannabe tyrant; others noted Banda’s pledge not to contest the new polls and concluded that she was making the best of […]
Malawi is only likely to have an official result of its chaotic May 20 election in a month as the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chair Maxon Mbendera announced on Monday it they will embark on a process to manually count the votes. With 95 percent of the votes counted, Mbendera said at news conference that […]
Malawi Defence Force (MDF) has categorically denied that the military is having an appetite to seize power, following last week’s election impasse. The army issued the statement made available to Nyasa Times on Monday following speculation going viral on social media that the solider were plotting a take over as the circus that has become […]
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has fired a warning shot on the way the elections are being handled saying it should not be put to test as it is no longer a sleeping party. Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Lilongwe, MCP vice president Richard Msowoya, spokesperson Jessie Kabwira and Director of Elections Kamata […]
Muslim Supreme Council of Malawi is calling on Malawians to lead calm as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) continues to rectify the anomalies that have dogged the elections. Secretary General of the Muslim Council Imran Katona told Nyasa Times that there is great need for Malawians to put political interest aside during this seemingly tense political […]
You have no idea how anoying it is to me to see, otherwise, intelligent and educated friends of mine posting partisan positions on Facebook veiled as arguments when it is very clear that all they are trying to do is to prop their candidate. Why is it so difficult to simply do what I do […]
The High Court in Lilongwe has ruled favourably for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) after it lodged a challenge against an injunction obtained by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) – the forerunner in last week’s poll –restraining the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) from embarking on a ballot re-count over fraud concerns. Over a dozen of lawyers stormed […]