Political experts in Malawi have said they are foreseeing violence in the coming 2019 general election especially if major parties in the country fail to resolve their differences in time.
The revelation comes amid debatable appointment of the new electoral commissioners as well as the political parties external and infighting.
According to some of the experts including Joseph Chunga—a renowned political scientist at the Chancellor College of the University of Malawi—the composition of the new electoral commission will be the center of controversy.
“Mine is on the appointment of new electoral commission which is debatable among the opposition party as they claim that the ruling DPP and its ally UDF have more commissioners,” said Chunga.
Chunga also asked religious leaders to start disciplining political leaders who violet their party’s constitution.
He said this will help to reduce violence within the political party which he said occurs because some political leaders take their party as personal and not for Malawians.
In his remarks, PAC Spokesperson Father Peter Mlomole bought Chunga’s idea saying “it can really change things.”
However, Mlomole asked political leaders to be tolerant and respect dissenting views.
Mlomole also plead for the independence of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in order for the body to win the trust of Malawians as well as opposition political parties.
After President Muthalika appointed new electoral commissioners at MEC recently, the process raised an eyebrow to opposition parties mainly Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Peoples’ Party (PP) who said it is DPP plan to mess-up the 2019 elections.
For instance, PP publicity secretary Kenneth Msonda argued that the legal provisions state that the major political parties represented in Parliament are required to submit four nominees from which the president can appoint two.
He also questioned the retention of Evelyn Mtafu in the commission as a reward for siding with the DPP during the controversial 2014 Tripartite Elections.