Tag Archives: MEC Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa

Top News

MEC cogitating on Nkhotakota’s Senior Chief Mwadzama constituency re-demarcation exercise query

Maravi Post Reporter

By Vincent Gunde

NKHOTAKOTA-(MaraviPost)-A sigh of relief has been brought to the people of Senior Chief Mwadzama in Nkhotakota following reports that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is consolidating complaints and suggestions of constituency and ward boundary demarcation exercise across the country.

Nkhotakota has five constituencies and during the re-demarcation exercise, no single constituency was added with reports that the issue of demarcation exercise was already dealt with in the district.

The development prompted Senior Chief Mwadzama to write the commission that him alongside his subjects were not happy for being left out on exercise in the district.

MEC Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa is quoted in the local press saying that the electoral body is compiling all the complaints and will soon respond according to how each grievance was presented assuring people that it will come up with its position before the final report on the demarcation exercise is released.

“We have received a number of communications and we are continuing receiving them, they are coming in various formats”, Mwafulirwa said.

The people of Mwadzama in Nkhotakota district have greeted the news with a loud of applause that the issue of complaints will now be handled and not as earlier reported that the issue was already dealt with in the district.

In a letter to Mec Chairperson, Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale, Senior Chief Mwadzama said his area has a population of over 104,385 people and is qualified to be a constituency on its own basing on data collected from Zidyana and Mtosa EPA’s .

But the assertion dismissed Mwafulirwa arguing that the re-demarcation exercise is based on the number of voters in the constituency in the last elections and not the population of people, the response made many people in the district to question the demarcation exercise as not important to them.

In the letter, Senior Chief Mwadzama proposed that Nkhotakota South East constituency returning to its original boundary from Chilua to Chia and Lake Malawi to Mwansambo with Mtosa ward boundary as it is today.

The chief also proposed that Mtosa Ward have a new boundary from Chilua to Lipsyodzi rivers and Mkaika Ward from Lipsyodzi to Chia rivers and changing the name of Nkhotakota South East constituency to Nkhotakota-Mbonekera constituency claiming that it has geographical reasons and also is a monumental in nature.

“Lingodzi, Kachikho, Namasasa, Katundulu, Tokwe and Mbonekera schools are proposed to be new polling centres in the district to reduce the distance covered by voters to and fro polling centres,” reads the letter in part.

Top News

Malawi electoral body sets conditions for voting: No mask, No voting as AFORD turns to God

Maravi Post Author
Electoral stakeholders

By Jordan Simeon-Phiri, MEC Stringer

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has called on political party leaders in districts where the Commission will conduct by-elections on March 30 to urge the electorates to wear face masks when going to polling centres to cast their votes to avoid the further spread of covid 19.

MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa made the call on Thursday at Maghemo nerve centre during the multiparty liaison committee (MPLC) meeting Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) jointly organised with Karonga District Peace Committee.

The call comes against the background of total defiance of party supporters who are gathering in large crowds duringcampaign rallies ahead of the by-elections,a development commentators have faulted, saying it has potential to further spread the virus.

Mwafulirwa said as a precaution measure, it is a requirement that everyone coming to cast their votes should wear a face mask and where possible carry their own ball point pen.

He said: “In compliance with the Presidential Task Force covid 19 preventive measures, MEC has suggested that people should be in face masks when coming to polling centres and that they bring their own ball point pens to use. No face mask, no voting. This is to prevent the further spreading of the pandemic”.

However, Paramount Chief Kyungu of Chitipa and Karonga objected to the suggestion, arguing, voting is a constitutional right which requires every eligible voter to democratically participate to elect a leader of their choice, therefore, putting the conditional parameter of no face mask, no voting will prevent many a people from voting.

“MEC should instead make sure that disposable face masks are available on polling day to enable everyone to vote. Or else people should be told to bring even any clean piece of cloth with which to cover their mouth and nose,” he said.

In response, Mwafulirwa said he will take the message back to the Commission to make a decision as elections are guided by the Electoral Laws.

Meanwhile, Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) on Friday spared time from their busy campaign diary and go to Kaning’ina Hills in Mzuzu to seek God’s intervention on the much sought after victory for their candidate Fwasani Silungwe in Karonga Northwest Constituency.

In an interview, AFORD regional governor Denis Mhone said they decided to enter into prayer and fasting session to call unto God for Him to answer their wish and grant them the vacant seat.

About 53, 000 voters will decide who among the eight candidates to send to the august house to formulate laws while initiating various developments which the Constituency lacks as the hub of the lake shore district.

The seat fell vacant following the death of the DPP Parliamentarian James Kamwambi who succumbed to Covid-19 last month.

Top News

‘Cassim Chilumpha disqualification won’t affect ballot printing’-MEC

Maravi Post Reporter

‘Cassim Chilumpha disqualification won’t affect ballot printing’

 

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) has said the High Court ruling which barred Cassim Chilumpha from contesting on Tikonze People’s Movement (TPM) ticket will not have any effect on the printing of May 21 Tripartite Elections’ presidential ballot papers.

Mec contracted a Dubai company, Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC, to print the ballot papers.

Mec Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa told The Daily Times that at the time of the ruling they had not started printing presidential ballot papers.

“We started printing parliamentary and Local Government ballot papers. We had not yet started [printing] presidential ballot papers. This is why we have said he [Chilumpha] would not be on the ballot paper,” he said.

Mwafulirwa said the ballot papers will be ready for shipping to Malawi by April 30.

On Thursday last week, the High Court blocked Mec from recognising Chilumpha as TPM candidate in the forthcoming polls.

The court ruled that Chilumpha’s nomination papers had irregularities as he was not sanctioned by the party to represent it.

TPM was a merger of six political parties—Malawi Forum for Unity and Development, People’s Progressive Movement, New Labour Party, Republican Party, Malawi Democratic Party and Assembly for Democracy and Development.

Mec has also asked the electoral staff to exercise caution when receiving and inspecting polling materials.

The polling materials are expected to be distributed on May 15 and inspection of the materials is scheduled for May 19.

Top News

Same old song; Malawi opposition parties attack MBC for favoring DPP

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Taxpayer-funded Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has come under fire mostly from opposition parties for not living up to its promise to open up the airwaves during the 60-day official election campaign period.

Ironically, the discontent from opposition parties contesting in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections comes against a background of the broadcaster pledging to provide airtime for pre-recorded campaign messages as well as 30-minute slots for interviews with each of the eight contesting presidential candidates.

In previous elections, MBC also came under fire for biased reporting against opposition political parties and candidates.

But in her address during the launch of the official campaign on March 19, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah also assured that the State broadcaster would open up and that parties were given a March 15 deadline to submit their messages for airing.

At the weekend, specifically on Saturday and Sunday, four of the political parties contesting in the elections, namely UTM Party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), People’s Party (PP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) had key events which, however, MBC did not cover.

UTM Party on Saturday launched its first-ever manifesto and election campaign in Dowa while MCP and PP jointly launched their campaign in Salima on Sunday and UDF did it in Mangochi the same day.

Ironically, during its main news bulletins after the events, MBC only provided coverage for the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) activities on both television and its two radio channels.

MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa told the Nation Newspaper that only three parties to date have complied with the request to provide pre-recorded campaign messages to MBC.

“Only three parties, Umodzi Party [UP], Tikonze People’s Movement [TPM] and Mbakuwaku Movement for Development [MMD] have submitted. We are working on with MBC to come up with a schedule for broadcasting,” said Mwafulirwa.

But MCP spokesperson the Reverend Maurice Munthali, in a telephone interview, said his party is not committed to providing the material due to the conduct of MBC officials.

He said: “We already expressed our worry over MBC’s failure to level the playing field. Now we are being given conditions in order to enjoy our right to use a national broadcaster funded by taxpayers’ money.”

On his part, UTM Party spokesperson Joseph Chidanti-Malunga said they were dismayed at the failure by MBC to cover their important functions, including the campaign launch.

He said UTM Party was yet to provide transport to MBC to facilitate coverage for its staff.

UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga also said his party had delayed submission of material to MEC to streamline the messages with its manifesto.

He said: “What we are trying to avoid is to record messages that do not speak the same language with our manifestos. We saw during the running mates debate that some candidates were speaking things that were contrary to their manifestos.”

PP spokesperson Ackson Kalaile-Banda said MBC had mastered the art of creating excuses to deny opposition parties access.

He said: “We have tried every means, including offering transport for MBC staff to cover our rallies, but they have refused.”

In a telephone interview yesterday, MBC director general Aubrey Sumbuleta admitted that the broadcaster was yet to include opposition parties in its news bulletins.

He said: “We are going to start the implementation this week with the pre-recorded messages.”

But when asked why the broadcaster was only featuring news on DPP campaign trail, Sumbuleta asked for more time to respond to the question.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga, who had previously applauded MBC for the arrangement, yesterday urged MEC to use its legal mandate to caution MBC once it notes that it was going off track.

She said: “We are also monitoring the situation to ensure that MBC keeps its word. Misa Malawi will be producing periodic reports not only focusing on MBC, but other media outlets as well.”

Senior MBC officials, according to Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) chairperson Steve Duwa, assured electoral stakeholders at the National Elections Consultative Forum (Necof) meeting of its resolve to balance up its coverage.

He warned that failure by the public broadcaster to open up would eventually hamper efforts to achieve free, fair and credible elections in the country.

Duwa  however faulted MBC for not fulfilling its role to offer balanced news to all parties.

Sumbuleta said the broadcaster was working with MEC to ensure that all candidates are given an equal platform on MBC radio stations, television channel and online platform to publicise their manifestos for the electorate make informed decisions.

 

Top News

Ignore fake ballot-MEC tells stakeholders

Maravi Post Author
Ignore fake ballot-MEC tells stakeholders

 

By Leah Malimbasa, MEC Stringer 

 

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has asked all electoral stakeholders to ignore a fake ballot which is circulating on social media.

 

According to a statement by the commission’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, the ballot paper in question is not from MEC.

 

“The Commission will share a sample of the final template (without security features) for stakeholders to use for voter education at an appropriate time,” reads the statement.

 

In the statement, Mwafulirwa further clarifies that the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act guides that names of candidates should be arranged following alphabetical order of surnames.

 

“Stakeholders are also encouraged disregard everything spread on social media if it is not coming from MEC,” reads part of the statement.

 

This is not the first time for a fake propagandist document about elections- to flood the social media.

 

On 20th February this year, the commission disowned another fake document which had inaccurate figures of candidates for respective political parties.

 

According to the New York Times, fake news is arguably one of the biggest challenges facing the news industry today.

Politics

Ballot papers for October 17 by-elections ready-MEC

Maravi Post Reporter
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)- The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) over the weekend disclosed that it has finished printing ballot papers for the October 17 by-elections slated for Lilongwe, Blantyre, Dedza and Nsanje districts.
MEC Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa, said the ballot papers are currently being kept at their head office in Blantyre and awaiting dispatch to the respective district councils this coming weekend.
In a press statement made available to the Maravi Post, the MEC reminds all contesting political parties, candidates, and civil society organisations (CSOs), to send their monitors to witness the delivery process, including the opening of the room where the ballot papers are being kept.
The Commission said that the dispatch and arrival in the councils as well as the pre-inspection exercise will take place consecutively.
MEC added that pre-inspection of polling materials in all the polling stations will be held on October 16, where presiding officers shall open the materials to check if they are in good order and quantity.
“On October 15, the ballot papers and other polling materials shall be dispatched to the polling centres from the councils.
Political parties and candidates are advised to send their monitors to witness this exercise, which starts from 9am at the council offices,” reads the statement.
In Nsanje Lalanje and Lilongwe Msozi North, the by-elections are being held following the death of former parliamentarians Sam Ganda of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Highton Jiya (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) respectively.
In Lilongwe South East, the by-elections are as a result of the Supreme Court of Appeal order to have a re-run after nullifying the 2014 outcome.