BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-In a bid to force Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson, Dr Jane Ansah and all the Commissioners to resign from their positions, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) on Thursday, February 13, 2020 sealed some of MEC’s offices.
Speaking in Lilongwe during the nationwide demonstrations, HRDC Vice Chairperson, Gift Trapence, said the closure of the offices was a message to the MEC officials that Malawians have lost confidence in them and so they must go.
“What we would want to see is a new Commission with new Commissioners. And we will not allow anyone to open these offices because the landlords have said no to these people. If there is any officer or person who will open these offices, then he is going against the will of Malawians,” said Trapence.
However, Director of of Communication at MEC, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, played down Trapence’s assertion, saying MEC has more offices and that the closure of one office cannot stop them from working.
“Nobody is going to suspend the operation of the Malawi Electoral Commission. It’s a responsibility and a serious one towards this country, and that we assure everyone that we are going to deliver on them. Immediately, we are going to hold the by-election in Liwawazi Ward,” Mwafulirwa said.
Following the alleged mismanagement of May 21, 2019 tripartite elections by MEC, HRDC has been holding countrywide demonstrations as a way of forcing the Chairperson and all the commissioners of the institution to resign from their positions.
