BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Angry Thyolo and Mulanje residents are planning to hold demonstration over unresolved land grievances.
This comes after dissatisfied with the lukewarm approach to the land dispute between estate owners and natives, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) will facilitate demonstrations to force the government to address the grievances of the people of Thyolo and Mulanje over the long-standing issue.
The march is scheduled for this Thursday, June 17, 2021.
In Thyolo, the marchers will start their peaceful demonstration from Khonjeni turnoff to the council offices; while in Mulanje, the protests will start from Nkhonya via Chitakale, to the council offices, where petitions will be delivered.
CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa, in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 said the grouping has noted with great concern that the government has forgotten landless people in the two districts.
Namiwa says the demonstrations are also aimed at bringing to the attention of people that may care to listen, that Malawi is currently under land colonization since most of the land, including all the prime land, is in the hands of foreign nationals.
He adds that Thyolo and Mulanje are just a pointer to a land crisis in the country.
“Although Malawi received her independence from the British colonialists in 1964, the people of Thyolo and Mulanje districts have been under the yoke of colonization ever since, following the failure by all the six heads of state that have ruled the country, to correct the systematic error on the oppressive land laws and regulations inherited from the British, which were craftily drafted to protect the selfish interests of the oppressors. As you are reading this, the people of Thyolo and Mulanje districts are living in fear, and are more or less like half human beings, since the only fundamental natural resource that sustains life, was violently grabbed from their ancestors at gun point by the white settlers from Britain. We cannot begin to talk of basic rights to life and economic activities without tackling land issues!” reads part of the letter.
Namiwa alleges that some estate owners have resorted to sponsoring the Malawi Police Service (MPs) through the Blantyre, Thyolo, Luchenza and Khonjeni Police establishments, to skin alive innocent and unarmed citizens who are organized in groups, in an effort to make their voices heard, with the belief that this error could be corrected, once and for all.
He says scores of people have been injured and have been left with scars after sustaining serious injuries because of merciless beatings by the police while others are serving jail terms due to trumped up charges that were coined to protect the interests of the oppressors.
“Thousands of people are living in fear of the same police, whose mandate is to protect lives and property. Such very sad stories have prompted CDEDI to commence legal proceedings against the perpetrators, in their individual capacities! CDEDI is reminding President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, and his Inspector General of Police, that Malawi is not a police state, hence our demands that the police should immediately stop unwarranted arrests, assault and victimization of the citizens whose only crime is demanding what is rightfully theirs,” says Namiwa in the letter.
CDEDI further condemns incidences of police brutality during the week that has just ended where the police arrested three minors in Mulanje, fired teargas, and assaulted innocent and unarmed people, mostly the elderly at Khonjeni, in Thyolo district.
Meanwhile, the organization has notified District Commissioners (DCs) of the two districts about the peaceful demonstrations in line with the requirement of the laws of Malawi.
CDEDI has appealed to Malawians from within and outside the country to join in the protests in solidarity with the people in Thyolo and Mulanje districts, who are fighting for justice.
Recently, the Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa appealed for patience among residents of the two districts, assuring that the government is taking steps to address their grievances.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil right body, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) on Monday, April 12, 2021 demanded a probe into the circumstances that led to the construction of 65 dwelling units on privately-owned land at Ngumbe area in Blantyre.
The State-funded Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC), using a bank loan amounting to MK3.5 billion, constructed houses on a land that belongs to Chitseko Estate Limited.
These revelations have left Malawians wondering how it was possible for the corporation to develop land that it does not have ownership over.
CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa told the news conference in the capital Lilongwe that he has written the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Office of the Ombudsman should launch independent investigations into the matter.
Namiwa claimed that the results of a fact finding mission CDEDI conducted had collaborated with information contained in a whistle blower’s letter from the corporation, which shows that the MHC’s own technical team comprising the Principal Surveyor Alick Chirwa, the Projects Manager Davis Kwanjana, Corporate Secretary Bob Chimkango, the Estate Officer Rodney Nankuyu, and a Mr. Haliwa and other officials conducted a boundary verification exercise prior to the commencement of the project.
“The team reportedly advised the corporation not to proceed with the project since it was clear that the MHC did not own the land. It is further reported that the Surveyor and the Project Manager drew alternative plans to make sure the houses would be built within the correct boundaries of the MHC’s land. The team further advised management, including Jordan Chipala the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) that the corporation would lose a lot of money and risked demolition of the houses if they constructed on Chitseko’s land,” he said.
Namiwa added that such professional advice and alternative plans were reportedly shot down by the corporation’s legal manager Okota Mzanda on grounds that building the houses elsewhere would be deemed as ‘conceding defeat.’
“At this point, it was very clear that the MHC was aware that they did not own the land, and yet they still continued with the construction of the houses. Sensing foul play, the Chitseko Estate Limited sounded an SOS and the issue started heating up. MHC officials were summoned to the Ministry of Lands in October 2020 where they were told that a report by the Surveyor General had ‘sadly’ found that the houses were built on land that did not belong to MHC. CDEDI is aware that a meeting was convened in Lilongwe over the matter, chaired by the former Principal Secretary Bernard Sande, where instructions were issued against the release of the Surveyor General’s report. Unfortunately, Chitseko Estate Limited had already been made aware about the contents of the report by the office of the Commissioner for Lands, a development that led to a disciplinary action which was meted out against the Acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphemia Botha,” he said.
Namiwa demanded that the Surveyor General’s report should be made public, an immediate audit to be conducted to confirm the cost of construction for the 65 houses which is currently pegged at MK54 million each and MHC should comply with previous court determinations, which were made in favour of Chitseko Estate Limited as regards the ownership of the land.
He also demanded that all the top government and MHC officials that are involved in the cover up of the Surveyor General’s report should be investigated and prosecuted, the re-instatement of the Acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphonia Botha, who was allegedly punished for sharing the contents of the Surveyor General’s report with Chitseko Estate Limited.
“We are also demanding an immediate resignation of Okota Mzanda, the MHC Legal Manager, to pave the way for thorough investigations on reports that he advised the MHC to cover up the Surveyor General’s report, the immediate resignation of the MHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jordan Chipala, under whose watch the Corporation has gotten into a shameful mess,” said Namiwa.
CDEDI has since written the ACB, with a copy to the office of the Ombudsman, to consider instituting full investigations over the matter.
The organization has also challenged the Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa and his deputy Abida Mia not bury their heads in the sand at this critical moment when Malawians are looking for answers from MHC.
There was on immediate reaction from both Msukwa and Abida on the matter.
Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—People’s Land Organisation (PLO) has resuscitated the land reclaiming battle from tea estates owners in Mulanje and Thyolo Districts.
According to one of the trustees of the organisation, Vincent Wandale, local owners of the land in the districts want to have their land back, allegedly snatched by foreign estates owners years ago.
“The fight is not by me as such, I am just one of the trustees. So, the fight is still on, it has never stopped. The issue of land is still intact. There is no way we can just sit back. Our land was stolen; there is evidence at the Office of the President and Cabinet. It is everywhere that the land was stolen and the people that are calling to that land know what they are saying. They are saying a lie; the land belongs to us,’ ranted Wandale.
Commenting on the development, Minister of Land and Urban Development, Kezzie Msukwa, said government is available to help all Malawians embroiled in land disputes.
Msukwa said: “Government is always available to solve problems of all Malawians including issues to do with land that is there in Thyolo. We will come to the gist of the matter so that we are able to understand what the real issues are so that we should be able to help wherever possible; but as government, we are always willing to help the people.”
Reports indicate that people in Mulanje and Thyolo are the worst hit with matters of land disputes with only 0.2 hectares being possessed by aborigines and the rest of it is under foreign ownership.
The foreign land owners, on the other hand, claim they acquired the land lawfully.
Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa and his deputy Abida Sidik Mia told members of staff in the Ministry that they need to start afresh with the aim of changing the public perception that the Ministry is one of the most corrupt government ministries in the country.
The Minister and deputy said this at Capital Hotel-Marquee1 yesterday when they organized a Management meeting which drew staff members from the five departments in the Ministry namely Lands, Physical Planning, Surveys, Housing and Urban Development Department.
During the meeting, it was disclosed by the Chief Human Resource Officer, Joseph Dzongololo that the Ministry is currently running at 35% staffing level meaning that there are a lot of positions the Ministry has to fill if it is to discharge its duties effectively to the public.
“Some problems at the Ministry occur due to shortage of staff because the current 35% staff level is almost like we are closing shop,” he said.
On his part, the new Principal Secretary, Benard Sande, whom President Chakwera has retired from his retirement in the public service, said his mission is to clean up the Ministry, to ensure efficiency and in the process improve the battered image of the Ministry.
The PS, whom the members of staff expressed their discontent in his management style, lamenting in an anonymous letter, that the 100 days of the Tonse Administration has been like 1000 days due to his stifling of operations at the Ministry, defended himself arguing he is following the law in his operations. He claimed that if members of staff were aware of the applicable laws guiding a controlling officer such as the Public Finance Management Act, they would not think he has come to strangle operations at the Ministry but to bring order.
Recently, President Chakwera defended his decision to pick old timers in crucial positions in government thereby pushing the youth who agitated for change in the sidelines saying the veterans have been hired to bring order and discipline in government Ministries.
The management meeting therefore concluded with the Minister Kezzie Msukwa appealing to members of staff to start afresh, leave politics to politicians and do their job ethically and professionally.
Ministry of Lands officials together with Minister Msukwa and Deputy Abida Mia en-route to inspect house units in the Chinise built dream town in Lilongwe
The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Kezzie Msukwa and Deputy Minister Abida Sidik Mia told the General Manager for Henan Guoji Dream Town in area 49 to revise downward the rentals they are charging for the house units they built and continue to build in the capital Lilongwe.
The moment of truth came amidst inspection of the houses the Chinese owned Construction Company has built when Minister Msukwa asked the general manager as to how much Malawians are paying for the houses in rentals.
When he heard that they were charging MK350, 000 per month, the duo, Msukwa and Abida were visibly appalled and they let the cat out of the bag when they told the General Manager to consider slashing the rentals arguing most Malawians, middle class Malawians in particular, cannot afford that.
In an interview with one of the foremen who granted an interview on condition of anonymity wondered why there is no possibility of a joint venture between local Malawi construction companies and this Chinese company which he claimed brings engineers and top workers, all from China.
“They claim they are in partnership with Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) but that it is just on paper, there is no MHC on the ground” he said adding “they are here not to really help us but rip our country off as they send money back to China.”
Speaking earlier, Msukwa said the dream town project will “alleviate housing problems in the cities of the country.”
“The government is very happy with the project not only because it seeks to address the housing challenges in the City of Lilongwe, but also because the collaboration between a Malawian and a Chinese company underscores the excellent relations between Malawi and China, which the Malawian Government cherishes,” he said.
Patel’s mansion erected on land he bought dubiously from Ministry of Lands in 2016
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—It appears the honeymoon for dubious land transactions is over in Malawi as a familiarization tour to Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) in Blantyre by Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Kezzie Msukwa and his Deputy, Abida Sidik Mia turned into an inquiry on how a plot of land was acquired by businessman Mr Patel in Mudi, Blantyre.
During the tour at MHC, it was learnt that a Malawi Housing Corporation Plot in Mudi was fraudulently sold to Mr Patel, owner of KU Distributors.
When quizzed, MHC Chief Executive Officer Eunice Napolo and Company Secretary, Bob Chimkango, distanced MHC from ever taking any part in the transaction.
“We were never involved in the transaction of this land. We just learnt, to our surprise, that the documentation was done by the Lands Department,” said Napolo when quizzed to explain as to what happened.
Minister Msukwa and Deputy Minister Abida Sidik Mia inspecting houses built by MHC at Ngambe site in Blantyre
When the Minister and Deputy arrived at the plot where Mr Patel built a mansion, it was learnt that the owner was at his KU Distributors industry, in Maone Blantyre.
The Minister and Deputy then followed him in order to get to the bottom of the issue. Mr Patel, looking calm and collected, fished out what he called original documents, to back his claim that he is the rightful owner of the plot.
After a brief exchange, the Minister told Patel that they will make a final determination on the matter and that he will be communicated to.
In an interview, Msukwa said him together with his Deputy Abida Mia will preside over the Ministry of Lands where the rule of law will be the guiding compass.
He urged MHC staff, whom he said was impressed with the kind of work they are doing ‘to apply the best of their professionalism’ if they are to deliver on the mandate they have of providing affordable housing to the nation.
“We need to succeed as a nation and to do that we need to separate politics from office work. No politicization of the workplace” Msukwa said.
During the familiarization tour, the Minister and Deputy toured BCA Hill and Ngumbe sites where MHC is constructing flats as well as bungalows. The Minister has also put MHC on high alert that they will commence construction of 100 house units, 50 for officers in the Police Service in Mzuzu and the remaining 50 for the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Officers at Support Battalion.
Minister and Deputy Minister of lands visiting site to construct houses for Malawi Prison Services staff
In exercise of powers as spelt out under section 94(1) of the Constitution, it pleased the State President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, to appoint Hon. Kezzie Kasambala Msukwa, MP as Minister of Lands and Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, MP, as his deputy. As most of us are aware, the Ministers and deputies were sworn in on Thursday, 9th July, 2020 with a clear message from the President: to deliver to the people of Malawi, to clean the mess in their Ministries and help the President build a new Malawi. This assignment before the Ministers and Deputy Ministers, calls for transparency and accountability, in that Malawians need to know what their servants, the Ministers and Deputy Ministers, are doing in their respective Ministries. This update, is therefore, meant to serve this purpose. What has Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa and his Deputy Abida Sidik Mia done since they ascended into this office? This update chronicles it all.
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN
The Minister and his deputy hit the ground running on Monday, 13th July, 2020 with a familiarization tour of the Ministry’s establishments in the capital Lilongwe. The Ministry of Lands has four departments namely: Department of Physical Planning, Department of Lands, Department of Urban Development, Department of Housing and Survey Department and on this particular day, all these departments were covered to appreciate what they do, the challenges they face and what they are planning to achieve in future.
This visit started on a high note in the other departments with the Lands Department situated in Area 3 in Lilongwe as the anti-climax of the tour as it was learnt that Computer hard disks were stolen in an inexplicable circumstances. This situation left the Minister and the deputy with no choice but to order the closure of the offices pending investigation and audit. The offices are until now remain closed.
On Tuesday, 14th July, 2020, the Minister and his deputy were treated to detailed presentations from Directors of the said departments in the Ministry’s boardroom. This time, the directors were explaining in finer details, what Ministry of Lands is all about and what the said departments basically do, where they derive their legal mandate to do what they do and the programs they have lined up to do. This, one can argue, was more of an orientation session to the Minister and Deputy but more importantly, it was also a platform for the Minister and his Deputy to tell the technocrats the direction the Ministry will take to achieve President Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s vision of building a new Malawi.
On Thursday, 16th July, the Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa delegated his deputy, Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, to Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) regional offices in Mzuzu to understand and possibly resolve grievances junior staff had at the establishment. The junior staff at the institution were striking. They had sealed management offices claiming their bosses were failing to resolve their concerns.
After engaging with the worker’s Trade Union for close to an hour, Deputy Minister Abida Sidik Mia, tapping from her vast experience as a Managing Director in the private sector, managed to resolve the issues to the satisfaction of both parties. It was a win-win situation and when she left Mzuzu that afternoon for Zowe House in Lilongwe where the Ministry of Lands is housed, peace, love and tranquility had finally returned at Mzuzu MHC offices. It was a mission accomplished!
However, the Deputy Minister, Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, advised Management to be proactive in resolving grievances of their junior staff as happy staff members are likely to be more productive than disgruntled ones. The Deputy Minister observed that the concerns she dealt with from the junior staff members were petty which, in an ideal situation, would not demand the attention of the Deputy Minister, saying the issues would have been resolved at Management level—indeed at Human Resource Management level. After engaging the junior staff and Management at MHC Mzuzu Office, the Deputy Minister proceeded to visit house units being constructed by MHC at Kaning’ina and Chasefu in the evergreen city.
In their second week, the duo—the Minister and Deputy Minister— embarked on a Northern region tour to familiarize themselves with the Ministry’s establishments on that side. On Monday, 20th July, 2020, the Minister and the Deputy Minister were in Chitipa where they paid a courtesy call on the District Commissioner’s (DC) office and thereafter held a meeting in the Council Chamber with technocrats from Physical Planning, Lands as well as Malawi Housing Corporation for a briefing on Land matters. Thereafter, the Minister and his Deputy visited a site at Chitipa Prison where the Ministry intends to construct house units for prison staff.
On the same day, the Minister’s entourage visited Karonga where similar rituals of paying a courtesy call to the DC were observed before a meeting at Karonga District Council Chamber. Paramount Chief Kyungu and other senior Chiefs were also in attendance. After meeting technocrats, the Minister’s entourage proceeded to visit a site at Ipyana where the Ministry intends to construct Police Staff houses. On Tuesday, 21st July, 2020, the tour took the Minister of Lands, Hon. Kezzie Msukwa and his Deputy, Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, to Rumphi for a similar exercise. Thereafter, on this same day, they visited Mzuzu City with a courtesy call at Civic Offices where the duo were welcomed by the Mayor of the City from where they visited the site for construction of houses for both police as well as Prison Staff. The duo also visited Lands Offices from where they proceeded to visit the Survey offices in Mzuzu before being treated to an intellectual feast where regional (North) heads in the Ministry of Lands made their Presentations at Mzuzu Hotel.
On Wednesday, 22nd July, 2020, the Minister and Deputy Minister started their day by opening a Media workshop on the Land Reforms Program in Nkhatabay. Thereafter, they visited a site where the Ministry intends to construct Police staff houses. The tour finally took them to Salima where after touring the Ministry’s establishments saw the duo being treated to presentations on the status quo of land matters in the district at Salima District Council Chamber.
The Minister and Deputy then attended to office matters in Lilongwe on Thursday 23rd and Friday, 24th July, 2020.
During their third week starting Monday, 27th July, 2020, the Minister Hon. Kezzie Msukwa, delegated her Deputy, Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, to appreciate the situation on the ground in the country’s old capital, Zomba, where reports emerged that there is chaos as far as land transactions are concerned. The deputy Minister rushed to the old capital and confirmed the reports. She fired warning shots that the Chakwera run administration will not tolerate illegality and corruption as far as land issues are concerned. In Zomba, the cases which have been unearthed range from having one parcel of land being allocated to multiple clients to illegal acquisition of land by members of the public.
Deputy Minister Hon. Abida Sidik Mia made it clear that the government will recover parcels of land acquired illegally and that the rule of law for those involved in dubious sale of land will take its course.
On Friday, the Minister held a meeting with the Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Right Honorable Saulos Klaus Chilima, who is championing public reforms. Writing on his facebook page following the meeting, Vice President Chilima said the Minister of Lands, Hon. Kezzie Msukwa, was “…from the onset [of the meeting]…candid to state that the ministry requires cleaning up and dismantling of corruption syndicates involving the dubious sale of land that has been going on for too long.” The Vice President assured the Minister of his support to clean the ministry.”
OBSERVATIONS 1. The Minister and Deputy Minister have observed and conceded that the Ministry of Lands is to a large extent in a mess and that it needs to be cleansed for it to better serve Malawians. .
2. The Minister and Deputy Ministers have also observed that there is encroachment of public land and they have vowed to restore that land.
WHAT THEY INTEND TO ACHIEVE
Among other things, this is what the Minister of Lands and his Deputy Intends to achieve.
1. The Minister and Deputy Minister have assured Malawians that they will clear the rubble of corruption in the Ministry and as part of sanitizing the Ministry, Some senior officers have already been transferred to other Ministries to pave way for new blood.
2. They have also vowed to bust land syndicates, to undo land transactions that were executed illegally and fraudulently.
3. They have also assured that they will encourage professionalism among staff in the Ministry of Lands and that Merit will be the yardstick when recruiting staff at the institution.
4. They have vowed that they will put measures to ensure that the Ministry is as transparent and accountable in providing services to the Public.
5. They have also assured that they will introduce legislation to allow Malawians in diaspora apply for land online.
6. They have also assured that they will mainstream gender in plot allocations.
7. The Minister and Deputy Minister also intends to preside over construction of house units for our men and women in Uniform across the country. 1000 house units will be built in phase one.
Going forward, this official facebook page of the Ministry of Lands, will be giving you frequent updates, on what your Servants, the Minister of Lands, Hon. Kezzie Msukwa and Deputy Minister of Lands, Hon. Abida Sidik Mia, are doing to help the State President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, build a new Malawi.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi Parliament has finally set 23 June as date for the Malawi Electoral Commission to conduct fresh presidential election.
The motion was moved by the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) Mzimba North lawmaker Yeremiah Chihana and it was seconded by Lilongwe Mpenu MP, Eisenhower Mkaka of Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
But commotion essued in the House when the House adopted a motion by Chitipa East Parliamentarian Kezzie Msukwa to gazette the June 23 date for the fresh election.
MPs from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vehemently protested against the decision.
MEC, during a meeting with the National Elections Consultative Forum (NECOF) which comprises all election stakeholders in the country last week, announced that in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling on May 8 the Commission had revised the fresh presidential election date to June 23 from July 2.
Ansah said with the Supreme Court’s clarification on the date for fresh election the Commission found June 23 to be an appropriate date for the poll.
“The Supreme Court upheld the fresh election and that it should be conducted within the 150 days from Feb. 3 as per the High Court ruling,” said Ansah.
However, the MEC Chairperson said the date was tentative and that the full responsibility of setting the date for the election lies in the hands of Parliament.
Incumbent president Peter Mutharika is going to face opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera, in the fresh election and the two opponents have rolled out a stiff campaign across the country to woo the electorate while Mutharika is still indoors.
However, his running mate Atupele Muluzi is vigilantly campaigning for the ruling DPP across the country.
Malawi parliament pens MEC to gazette 23 June as date for fresh poll
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—The Legal Affairs Committee of parliament has written the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to have the electoral body gazette 23 June, 2020 as the date on which the fresh presidential poll shall be held.
Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee Kezzie Msukwa said as committee which is responsible for the legal matters in the national assembly they have unanimously settled for 23 June as the date for the election.
Initially MEC proposed 2 July as a date for the fresh presidential poll but changed tune after the Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in the election appeal case in which the electoral body and President Peter Mutharika wanted the highest court to overturn the ruling of the Constitutional Court which nullified the 2019 presidential poll due to widespread irregularities.
MEC, during a meeting with National Elections Consultative Forum (NECOF) which comprises all election stakeholders in the country last week, announced that in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling on May 8 the Commission had revised the fresh presidential election date to June 23 from July 2.
Meanwhile, President Mutharika is expected to notify the Judicial Service Commission to nominate judges for consideration of appointment of MEC chairperson following the resignation of Justice Jane Ansah from the position.
Presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani in an interview said the President will appoint new commissioners and that the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) will communicate to the Judicial Service Commission this week about the stepping aside of MEC chairperson Jane Ansah.
He says the president is treating the matter with the urgency it deserves.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament has advised the Malawi Electoral Commission to work on the country holding fresh presidential election on June 23 while they are waiting to put the law in place for the election date.
Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting that the committee had with MEC Chairperson, Justice Dr. Jane Ansah, and Attorney General, Kalekeni Kaphale today, the committee’s chairperson, Kezzie Msukwa, says they will not completely follow the advice of the Attorney General to have ‘genuine election’ as, he said, the AG is compromised in his stand, having represented MEC in the court case in which the Constitutional Court nullified the presidential poll.
On the bills that President Peter Mutharika rejected, Msukwa says the meeting has agreed that only pieces of the legislation guiding a possible run-off and election date should be tabled and that the rest should be tabled after elections when the country will be politically stable.
Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale has said they haven’t agreed on any date for the fresh election but as Attorney General, he has advised the members of the legal committee that the mandate to choose a date lies in the hands of Parliament.
MEC, during a meeting with the National Elections Consultative Forum (NECOF) which comprises all election stakeholders in the country last week, announced that in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling on May 8 the Commission had revised the fresh presidential election date to June 23 from July 2.
Ansah said with the Supreme Court’s clarification on the date for fresh election the Commission found June 23 to be an appropriate date for the poll.
“The Supreme Court upheld the fresh election and that it should be conducted within the 150 days from Feb. 3 as per the High Court ruling,” said Ansah.
However, the MEC Chairperson said the date was tentative and that the full responsibility of setting the date for the election lies in the hands of Parliament.
Incumbent president Peter Mutharika is going to face opposition leader, Lazarus Chakwera, in the fresh election and the two opponents have rolled out a stiff campaign across the country to woo the electorate.
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