Voter registration suspension draws mixed reaction
Governing Democratic Progresssive Party (DPP) cadres and its alliance partners United Democratic Front (UDF) have taken up in social media platforms to hail the government for decision to suspend the voter registration exercise for the July 2 fresh presidential election in the wake of the increased coronavirus patients in the country while opposition and law experts are cautions in their comments.
The country recorded its first coronavirus death on Tuesday, a 60-year-old woman in Blantyre and the cases rose from five to eight within hours.
UDF president, who is also minister of Energy Atupele Muluzi also asked for electoral stakeholders to rethibk their position of going ahead with elections on July 2 amidst virus outbreak.
“In my humble view as president of the UDF, maybe it is time to have one common position on the fresg elections and Covid-19 by all political [parties],” Muluzi wrote in his Facebook page.
Mac Tembo, a DPP zealot also said lives of people were more important than the election.
But law experts say MEC will have to seek permission and clearance from the courts to postpone the election.
Lilongwe-based legal expert Justice Dzonzi said the fresh elections are not the normal polls but court sanction vote, therefore, Special Cabinet Committee on Covid-19 have no legal mandate to “disrupt the electoral process” such as cancelling voter registrations.
He said the ideal situation would have been government persuading Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to summon a National Electoral Consultative Forum (Necof) for electoral stakeholders to deliberate on the idea and inform the court.
Dean of law at Chancellor College, Dr Dingiswayo Madise, also queried the Cabinet committee’s legal authority to suspend registration of voters.
”Does this committee have the power to suspend the registration exercise? Under what legal authority?
“The decision to suspend the voting registration exercise is reasonable in the circumstances of the Covid 19 pandemnic, even welcome.
However, in my view, the wrong institution has made the’order,’ considering further that the fresh election is court-sanction with specific ancillary orders,” said Madise.
Madise said the electoral body should have made that decision.
“Even in times of pandemic, the rule of law must prevail,” said Madise.
Opposition members were also cautions in their comments, saying government has rushed to make such a decision.
In a phone-in radio programme on Times, ‘Professor’ Muhamad Abutrika told host Brian Banda on Tuesday that government is “tactically running away from holding the fresh elections.”
Three coronavirus cases have been detected in the past hours, two in Blantyre and one in Chikhwawa, bringing the number of the cases to eight in the country.
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This a clear manifestation that people like madise have no interest of the masses at heart. they just want to see DPP out of their way. corona is real the day it stricks madise or one of your family members is when you come back to your sense of huma. it is like your eyes are clossed and what you want to see once open is APM out of power and Chakwera on power. your hetread is just too deep till you have forgotten your sense of huma.
Sensible ideas, and good comments is what we Malawians need now..n I really support people with sensible comments, the so called Judges thinks they are the best in the world and trying to undermine the executive body on whatever they decide of the wellbeing and health of Malawians,all is power hungry,let the covid 19 attack them, maybe they will come back to their senses. There is no solicitor on this pandemic, and don’t mislead people with your stupid laws, can you predict how many people will be affected with the Corona virus by those long queues in polling stations. My prayer is ,let these Judges contract this virus for them to learn a lesson, because there’s no going to South Africa for treatment, the way they do when they are Sick. Save Malawian lives for a better economy not politics
DPP came from UDF Kachipani ka Muluzi Tambwali weni weni.All Judges are surprised now that when the Court sets for hearing Muluzi says MZANA WANGA INE CHINDODO M’MANJA. mbamva yeni yeni
I pray that the so called law experts must be attacked by the disease so that they can appreciate the gravity of Covid 19. I dont know why we prioritise law at the expense of life. Kodi chofunika kwambiri NDI lamulo kapena anthu? Kodi ma court aku Malawi ndiye Kuti amadziwa malamulo kwambiri kuposa ma court onse adziko lapansi amene apanga quarantine anthu komanso kulepheretsa masankho? How special is Malawi elections that it can’t be cancelled? Should we go with the elections preparations because we want to please few people who are power hungry? God forbid. Life is like water when it’s lost it can’t be recollected.
TIBVOTE BASI . COVID -19 SIMASEWERA AYI MABVUTO ALIPO OMABE TIBVOTE AFUNA APEZE KOTHAWIRA.ndiye U president agwiriire Speaker
Wait a minute. No one is saying voter registration shouldn’t have been stopped. It is the way orders were issued, i.e. willynilly. There must be an orderly way of doing things and Mhango had no mandate. MEC should have been informed to urgently issue a notice.
In Botswana, the government has postponed the much awaited by-elections because its a threat to the fight against the covid-19 efforts. There are also other countries who have so far postponed elections which demonstrates how serious they are to protect their people, osati inuyo who are not serious. Zichitani zibwana choncho muzamva nkhwanga iri mutu. What the government has done is just the right thing and they have the heart of the people. I remember one of the reknowned Malawi National Team coaches, he told his players in those years that, ” when you miss the ball, dont miss the leg” end of quote. In this case, taking what the lawyers, liers are saying, is a very long root that will not help the nation. Bravo government.
The State of Winscosin in USA went ahead to conduct elections to elect a challenger to challenge Trump in the Nov. 2021 elections. Governor of that State had shifted the elections to June 2020 but the Federal Supreme Court accepted an application from stakeholders that electing a challenger should take place now so long that measures are taken in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Voters were chosing between Biden and Saunders.
In Wisconsin azayimanso pa mzere or it’s electronic.
So Absurd and Stupid arguments. We need to RETRAIN OUR LAYWERS AND JUDGES in Malawi. I THOUGHT YOU HAD MIXED REACTIONS ON THE BANNING OF CHURCH GATHERINGS? Shupiti zanu
Issue ya Corona ilinso ndi za Court?Look around the world governments have taken away their people’s Rights whether they like it or not.Sono ma court/judge apa Malawiwa Iwo ali special dziko lonse la pansi.Thus what we call ma judge/court apa Malawi they R ‘Acting like a big fish in a pond’!shame! how funny when people R hungry for power.However even if elections were to be held today this violent,criminal opposition would be crashed to defeat! Just thank corona it has saved the opposition big time humiliation&go to hell!
Mantha kuopa kuluza a buluzi a Devil Peoples Party ndi mbava zanuzo za UDF zomwe zinalimira nseu Mtalika.
A chulewa a DPP kuumilira pampando pomwe nthawi yanu yatha
Corona yo pasakhale chothawirapo abali inu
Peter is an interim leader same to Chilima
Malawi needs a unique leader now more than b4
Tivote kuchotsa virus yokupha imene ili Devil Peoples Party and UDF kuposa coronayu
Catch may words that Malawi is not for (M) brothers mwina manyi brothers
Muluzi ndi Mtalika don’t taste our anger b4 fire burns Mallawi.
Your time is over agaluinu
This is total nonsense Corona virus is here and then we must go gather in places where it is so infectious.When an earthquake strikes do you ask the con court judge to tell you to run away.This is madness why are we praising judges that will allow Chinese to enter Malawi without quarantine.And they will say start campaigning total madness.That Ministerial special commit is moving swiftly to curb this pandemic they must go ahead this is for the people of Malawi not the judges that cannot be dignified.Go ahead Chair Mhango am very much impressed with your committee everyday you are on your task for us Malawians.
Fellow Malawians let’s not take this issue lightly surely it’s deadly – if the richest countries in this world are crying and panicking to see people dying like (Nkhuku zachitopa) adding on this most of these countries have taken a stringest prevention measure of locking down, anyone seen to be moving is beaten up – now my question is who are we that we can not follow the simple precautionary measures that our goverment is trying to put in place???????????? who are we as poor as we are????? by the way what do we lose if we do not vote for the sake of our lives which are now directly in danger of this deadly disease of COVID 19???????? I hope no one will start blaming the goverment once people start dying like the way it’s happening in ALL these rich Nations. APM knows that if we don’t start now when the cases are minimal how then will this Poor Country going to curb the situation when the figures began to tripple???? = In a country were we do not have enough special doctors, healthy personnel, hospitals, medicines, medical equipments etc…….
Fellow Malawians we ALL belong to this Nation please let’s love one another and let’s love our country – The Book of Ecclessiates says, and I quote – Everything has got time, (time to sow and time to reap, time to cry and time to smile, time to collect and to spread) – by the look of things unfolding in this entire world surely anyone of WISDOM can not talk nor see any time of going to polls. Even the ISIS – the Islamist fighters, Al Quaida, Al Shabaab, Boko Haraam you can mention them they have stopped doing their nonsense – because they know how dangerous this corona virus is – however this coronavirus is here to sweep them ALL –
Lastly, Fellow Malawians let’s put God first and seek his kingdom and righteousness and ALL these problems and needs shall be sorted out in Jesus Name.
This proves beyond doubt the lawlessness DPP has mastered. Just because you are heading a questionable ministerial Committee does not give you powers to venture into other people’s authority
Mhango has no mandate to make pronouncements which are the responsibility of other institutions. Otherwise we will end up with a chaotic situation shrouded in Covin 19
We will start thinking well when many including your wives die. That’s what Malawi is. We don’t think in advance. We start working it’s when we realize that we don’t have PPE.
Still doesn’t justify decisions being made willynilly. There must be order
True bro
Dikilani amene mukupanga mwano ndi tuzu ikukathana corona yo
APM, you can try to run and hide behind Coronavirus but no matter what, time will come soon when you will have to leave state house old man and that is the day you will face the music……smell the coffee old man.
Voter registration can continue, you do not need 100 people to register at the same minute, social distancing can be practiced during voter registration.
The cancellation is clear evidence of a well orchestrated campaign to stop the election from happening in July, period. The problem is that someone some day will have to answer for these contempt of court decisions. You should have gone back the the courts to seek extension of the 150 days to hold the elections at a latter date before taking a unilateral decision to cancel the registration.
We also know that you are cancelling the registration now because you have almost completed the registration in the south and you know that if the courts does not accept to extend the 150 days it will be the opposition that will suffer because less people have registered in the central and northern regions. These are obviously tactics of evil people not God chosen leaders.
Why not let the people of Malawi chose their own leaders rather than imposing yourself on them by using corrupt machinations.
APM, there is God in heaven and one day very soon he will answer the prayers of so many Malawians….please do yourself a favour and leave state house while you are still breathing, do not leave office as your brother did just because of greed and the love of money….
Lawyers are the prime cause of problems of problems in Malawi, inu anthu akuphululuka ma lawyers akukamila dongosolo ndi ndondomeko? Kukokana kokana sikuthandiza a Malawi
KKKKKKKK Pali mulii omwe ukuopseza miyoyo ya anthu ochuluka pa dziko pano , inu a concourt ngati simuganiza bwino pa nkhani iyi ,tikudziwa kuti mukufuna kusangalatsa omwe mukuwadziwa aja koma musayike miyoyo yambirimbiri pa chiswe chifukwa chofuna kukondweretsa a opposition ,Concourt bwerani poyera ,lengezani kuti chisankho chayimitsidwa mpaka mtsogolo muno ,koma muchitira mwina Mulungu adzakulangani ,omwe mukuwafuna kuti adzakhale pa mipando yomwe akufunayo adzalephera pa chisankho chomwe inuyo mungapange impose pa anthu amid this pandemic.
Learned lawyers the wisdom of God surpasses all laws made by a human being. Open your spiritual eyes please. Registration vs people’s lives??? Poor malawians!!!
Good idea.life first, but legally MEC should be the one to sanction the decision..and courts should do the needful too..this is a pandemic and a life-threatening situation…
Everybody agrees that in the face of corona virus situation in the country theres justification to postpone the electoral process. But the correct legal process has to be followed. Don’t do things ngati anthu osazindikila ayi.
Let the country be ruled by Speaker or chief Justice until new elections are held.
Lubinga,umasuta khanundu iweyo I have no doubt about that. You need to follow what happened in China and you will understand why the government is doing all that. Ndiuchitsiru wanuwo, u will realise at some point that ma Judge anuwo ndiozerezeka when the situation is out of control, people dying like flies..as Lucky Dube said. This is indeed a natural mystic, as sang by Bob Marley.
Read before commenting you a fool Cairo u must go to where u belong how come u including judges in lubinga’s comments. Iweyo ndi dpp yako nonse wautali
DPP is not comfortable with the fresh elections, hence the noise♨
Some of us predicted that the rude attitude of our judges, their bias and lack of reason was going to expose them as fools. People are talking about elections on 2nd July – parliament hasn’t voted on that yet, has it? For the elections to happen, there is need for constitutional change. The power-hungry opposition does not have two-thirds majority to change the constitution. So the problem is that our judges were so stupid to have their judgement depend on politics. They will all be humiliated. Don’t blame Corona-virus.
MEC or government DO NOT need to ask the corrupt courts fand judges for anything. Jane Ansah went to the courts twice on timing of elections but the corrupt and short-sighted judges refused to hear MECs plea. It is the courts and judges that are feeling the heat now because of their defective 3rd February judgement but also bias. They were doing everything to help Chakwera and Chilima. Government is right to suspend all gatherings including registration because corona-virus is spreading in our country.
those who are against this development of stopping registering people they are sick the virus is very dangerous we need our lives not zandalezo it does not mean athu savota ayi tikakavota bt after this pandamic if we can die you people you call your yourselves law experts you are the same people who will come and start saying why government did not act before it gets worse
You want us to die of corona? Do we eat politics? Kupusa eti.. how will people even vote without parties campaigning?.. Zisankho ziyime basi .. this Tumbuka madise is a covidiot,nepotistic corrupt judge.He is biased and thinks the courts are his farm.. chindere waka.
Not in many name