Tag Archives: MESN

Authors, Law and order, Malawi, Politics

MESN calls for swift ‘vote rigging’ reports probing in October by-elections

Admin

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)- The country’s electoral monitoring body Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) this week called for thorough probes on alleged vote rigging reports ahead of the October 17 by-elections scheduled to take place in some parts of the country.

MESN Executive Director Steve Duwa, said he wants allegations of rigging during elections to be thoroughly investigated and concluded, to avoid the tension that mostly characterise the campaign period.

Duwa’s sentiments come at a time tension is slowly building up in Lilongwe City South East Constituency, where agents of some candidates in the October 17 by-elections, are allegedly recording voter certificate numbers of eligible voters.

The purpose for recording the details remains a mystery, but Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Ulemu Msungama has raised concerns of possible rigging by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) parliamentary hopeful Reuben Ngwenya in the race.

Ngwenya could not be reached on his mobile number, but the DPP has denied the allegations, saying they are unfounded, and challenged anyone with evidence to bring it before relevant authorities.

Msungama wrote the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) last Thursday, asking if collection of information forms of voter certificates is allowed.

According to our sister paper the Nation,which posted the letter, reads in part: “I have been receiving calls since Saturday that the DPP team is giving out K1,000 notes in exchange of voter registration card numbers and promising the voters that after elections, they will be given more cash, fertiliser, loans etc.”

In an interview, the MCP candidate said he feared the activities amounted to rigging, which would rob him of victory as happened during the 2014 Tripartite Elections.

The Supreme Court of Appeal, last May ordered a re-run of the elections in the constituency, where the DPP candidate Bentley Namasasu was declared winner in the 2014 elections.

MEC director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa said he received the complaints from Msungama, saying the Commission already responded to the issues raised. He did not clarify.

But, according to the MCP candidate, the only feedback he got from MEC was a press release issued on Friday, September 8 2017, titled “Keeping the vote certificate safe.”

In the statement, signed by Acting Chief Elections Officer Harris Potani, MEC urged all eligible voters to keep their voter certificates safe, in view of reports that some people were recording voter certificate numbers.

But DPP spokesperson Francis Kasaila, aughed off Msungama’s concerns, saying they lack substance considering that voting is done manually.

Kasaila wondered how his Party would know who voted for their candidate to shower them with gifts as alleged by Msungama.

“Someone in Nsanje-Lalanje [Constituency] was doing something similar to that [collecting serial numbers of voter certificates], and people were caught and charged, so don’t just bring out issues for the sake of seeking sympathy from people. We want pure evidence and not just politics,” said Kasaila.

But the MESN Executive Director observed that such allegations compromises the electoral process and are an infringement of the right of participation for the voter.

Said Duwa: “By now, we would have had cases where such allegations were concluded, but we continue to hear of such issues every time we are holding elections. I don’t remember the police or MEC getting to the bottom of this.

What is the motivation for someone to go and collect someone’s voter certificate number? Is it a criminal offence? These are some of the questions that people need answers to.”

Politics

MESN call for the establishment of Special Electoral Court in Malawi 

Maravi Post correspondent 1 Comment
Staven Duwa

The Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN), said there is need to establish a special court that would deal with electoral issues in the country.

Speaking to the media this past week, MESN chairperson Steve Duwa said the proposed court would help to speed up electoral cases.
He said the current judicial houses delay the handling of electoral cases.
“Electoral cases need to be handled swiftly. And at MESN, we believe that the proposed court would help to speed up such cases,” Duwa said.
Duwa gave the example of the case involving the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Ulemu Msungama, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Bentley Namasasu, which has been in the court for over two years.
A renowned political analyst, Blessings Chinsinga supports the idea.
He said it would help in dealing with all electoral conflicts accordingly and in good time.
Some political parties such as the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD). and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), support the proposal saying it is a good idea.
Politics

Lilongwe South East poll rerun: Mec pleads for funding and patience

Maravi Post correspondent
Namasasu (L) and Msungama (R)

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeals order for the re-run of the Lilongwe City South East Constituency parliamentary elections has put the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) in a fix to source funds for the exercise.

Apart from seeking funding, the Mec is also concerned if the modality of electoral laws will allow it conduct the re-run as demanded by the court.

But electoral stakeholders and opposition political parties have challenged the electoral body to find the funds and consult widely for the exercise to take place.

In a press statement released on Tuesday and made available to The Maravi Post, Mec while welcoming the court’s order, said it is putting in place measures to hold the re-run as soon as possible.

The electoral body says it respects the ruling after it declared Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Bantly Namasasu winner against Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Ulemu Msungama, who challenged the 2014 tripartite elections results.

The commission notes that the exercise will be the first in the electoral history of the country, saying holding of the election involves the engagement of several public offices and holding the re-run will depend on how fast the other institutions can assist to the process.

“Stakeholders should be assured that it has always been in the interest of the commission to fill up vacancies once they arise as soon as possible so people in constituencies and wards continue to enjoy representation in Parliament and councils respectively.

“The commission is appealing for patience, understanding, and support from all electoral stakeholders in this process as has always been in the case”, reads the statement signed by Thandie Nkovole, Mec’s Acting Chief Elections Officer.

Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) Chairperson Steven Duwa has however advised the Mec to consult the Attorney-General on electoral laws and submit its budget to the treasury for the re-run.

All major opposition political parties including United Democratic Front (UDF), People’ Party (PP), and MCP have quashed the commission’s complaint of lack funds for the exercise.

There were seven candidates including three independents who competed in the constituency in the 2014 polls.