Commissioners at the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) have denied being party to anomalies raised in a draft report by the National Audit Office as reported in the press.

Chief Elections officer Willie Kalonga

“The current Commission would like to state categorically that it is not answerable for issues arising from management of the 2009 elections. The current Commissioners were appointed on May 19, 2012 with the Chairman joining them on 9th October, 2012,” reads a statementsigned by MEC chief elections officer Willie Kalonga.

MEC has also claimed that there is a gross misrepresentation of facts the audit report that indicated that a total of 55 audit queries totaling roughly K1 billion were unaccounted for in the period 2008 to 2012 which raised fears that the money might have been abused.

It argues that the gaps came about  due to the fact that  some documents could not be made available to the auditors claiming they had been mishandled by agents of the state namely the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Fiscal Police when they were investigating reports of suspected fraud on MEC finance staff in 2009 that saw members of staff who were arraigned discharged by the “competent” court of law.

“The Commission is of the view that the audit issues are not an issue of fraud but just unavailability of accounting records due to reasons already stated. The very same reasons that documents could not be found because they were mishandled are the same why it was not possible to present them to the NAO auditors,” the statement signed by Kalonga on June 25 2015 explains.

The chief elections officer further argues that the issues raised in the report and subsequently in the press were responded to and that the documentation and explanations supporting transactions that are alleged to be missing were provided.

“To that effect there shouldn’t be an issue raising allegations of financial mismanagement at the Commission,”he contends.

The commission has since pleaded with the media and auditors to be responsible and uphold the trust required of them.

“The Commission appreciates the role played by the media in promoting transparency and accountability but at the same time it expects the media and other professionals to be responsible. Issues raised in a preliminary audit report are not for public consumption until the final report, which is a public document, is out.

“The Commission also expects auditors to conduct themselves in a manner that does not erode the confidence clients have in them,” writes Kalonga in the statement MEC released Friday June 26, 2015.

The commission was however quick to point out that since the institution has perpetual succession, the secretariat remains responsible hence taking e trouble to make the clarifications.

MEC claims that when the current Commissioners were appointed, MEC had just gone through two audits; the first one was by PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PWC) in 2010 where it showed K1, 585,033,030.02 was not accounted for.

Following these revelations, the Bingu wa Mutharika government shut down the MEC and instituted a forensic audit from December 2010 to April 2011 in order to come to the bottom of the unaccounted for funds.

The audit was carried out by KPMG  and managed to reconcile about K1.1 billion of the K1.5 billion mentioned in the earlier audit report but the remaining K467 million could not be reconciled because the documents could not be traced.

Kalonga says that when the current Commission was appointed, it directed the internal audit department of the Commission to carry out further reconciliations of the amount unaccounted for in the forensic audit and managed to authenticate a further K106 million of the K467 million previously stated as unaccounted for.

MEC however claims that the exercise could not continue just because the Commission had started activities leading to the 2014 tripartite elections.

But basing on the experience MEC had been through, the current Commission claims to have embarked on initiatives to strengthen internal financial controls and corporate governance that include engaging external auditors.

“So far it has managed to set up an internal audit department headed by a director with five full time staff, set up an Audit Committee headed by a Commissioner to which the Internal Audit Department reports and initiate audits by private firms.

“Apart from audits by the National Audit Office, the Commission is audited by a private firm, Deloitte. It is anticipated that in December Deloitte will be conducting audit for 2014/2015 financial year. The purpose is that queries arising should be answerable by the responsible persons,”Kalonga explains.

In the argued article, the commissioners were also accused of collecting travel allowances for trips not undertaken. There were also issues to do with postponement of by-elections and failure to account for nomination fees.

In an attempt of clarifying issues that the country’s electoral body claims were “grossly misrepresented” in a local newspaper article titled ‘Audit Reveals Abuse at MEC’, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has in a way agreed that its Commissioners collected allowances for trips that did not take place when the allowances were pocketed.

Mtafu: One of the commissioners who was supposed to travel to South Africa

The said article based on facts presented in a draft report by the National Audit Office (NAO) claimed that some Commissioners took allowances for trips not made, and that  MEC says that when the Commissioners came into office, they were scheduled to go on study visits to Kenya and South Africa along with some members of staff.

“But the trips were cancelled due to other circumstances after allowances had already been paid,” reads the statement in part signed by MEC Willie Kalonga Chief Elections Officer.

But Kalonga explains: “It was arranged that when the trips would be rescheduled the Commissioners and staff would use the same allowances and only get a difference if need be.”

When the trips were rescheduled, MEC says that Commissioner Dr. Bernard Malango and Ms Nkovole who were supposed to go to Kenya went to Zambia from 7 to 13 April, 2013.

“Also in the team to Zambia were Commissioners Dr. Wellington Nakanga, Commissioner Mrs. Nancy Tembo, former Commissioner Dr. Bertha Simwaka and Mr. Harris Potani. Commissioner Mrs. Elvey Mtafu who was supposed to travel to South Africa took the trip from 24 to 30th September 2012 to the same country.”

MEC claims that an explanation was made to the auditors and it was dropped in subsequent draft audit report that NAO provided to MEC.

On an allegation that other Commissioners and staff did not provide their passports for verification during the exercise, MEC says it is not true as the passports were provided, saying the issue was also dropped after the explanation.

On failure to account for nomination fees, the statement says that the 2009 nomination fees were received at Council level and that some Councils did not bring all the documentation when remitting their reports to the Commission.

“The auditors from the National Audit Office (NAO) were given all the resources to go and verify in the councils and up to date MEC is waiting for their report on what they found out,” MEC chief elections officer.

He added: “As a matter of fact, the analysis of the nomination fees from the districts, assumed that all nomination fees were paid at the districts.”

MEC has revealed that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates were paid for by Bineth Trust as a lump sum and their nomination fees could not therefore have come from the districts.

The auditors also raised an issue on the refund of K19.1 million which MEC gave to Bineth Trust for the candidates who competed on the ticket of the DPP.

“MEC clarified to them that the party paid K19.2 million for all its candidates through the Trust and that is why a refund for the candidates who qualified had to be made to the Trust,” the statement adds.

Though conceding that the media appreciates the role plays in promoting transparency and accountability, MEC strikes; “MEC expects the media and other professionals to be responsible. Issues raised in a preliminary audit report are not for public consumption until the final report, which is a public document, is out.”

To NAO, MEC offers a free advice: “The Commission also expects auditors to conduct themselves in a manner that does not erode the confidence clients have in them”.

The NAO report is said to have indicated that a total of 55 audit queries totaling roughly to K1 billion were unaccounted for the period 2008 to 2012 thereby raising fears that the money might have been abused.

In the statement, Kalonga says the Commission is committed to financial diligence and further urges those who might wish to seek clarification to contact him.

“With the experience MEC had been through, the current Commission embarked on initiatives to strengthen internal financial controls and corporate governance,” reads the statement.

MEC has said that it has set up an internal audit department headed by a director with five full time staff, set up an Audit Committee headed by a Commissioner to which the Internal Audit Department reports, initiate audits by private firms.

“Apart from audits by the National Audit Office, the Commission is audited by a private firm, Deloitte. It is anticipated that in December Deloitte will be conducting audit for 2014/2015 financial year. The purpose is that queries arising should be answerable by the responsible persons,” said Kalonga.

The report is said to have indicated that a total of 55 audit queries totaling roughly to K1 billion were unaccounted for the period 2008 to 2012 thereby raising fears that the money might have been abused.

Preliminary findings by the National Audit Office  (NAO) has exposed lack of consistency and maladministration at the country’s electoral body, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), and abuse of power by the the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Kudontoni: DPP met the obligations

It has transpired that all the 192 DPP candidates were in the 2009 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections (PPE) either allowed to contest without paying nomination fees or bull dozed their way using political muscle of the then state president, the late Bingu wa Mutharika.

During the 2009 PPE, every parliamentary candidate was required to pay K100 000 as nomination fees and for the DPP it amounted to K19.2 million but out of the 192 candidates,  Oliver Chizamsoka Mulwafu, who contested in Chitipa East, did not qualify for a refund because he managed to amass votes that represented 3.25 percent.

Electoral standing rules stipulate that any parliamentary candidate who scores above five percent of the total votes cast is eligible to a refund of the whole amount she or he paid and analysts view the MEC version as a means to substantiate payment of K19.1 million (that MEC made to Bineth Trust as refunds for the candidates who never paid anything.

MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa is quoted by the local press that all DPP candidates paid by themselves, adding that it is not true that Bineth Trust was repaid nomination fees of a payment that lacked evidence per the NAO preliminary audit report.

But NAO observes in the report that there was a risk that the electoral body’s  regulations and guidelines were flouted by allowing DPP candidates, whose party was also in government then, to contest for the polls without payment of nomination fees.

“The audit noted that the payment of refunds to Bineth Trust was not justified because there was no evidence to show that the [DPP] candidates paid the nomination fees to the [MEC], as such there is a risk that refunds were made for the candidates that did not pay their nomination fees,” observes NAO.

DPP secretary General Eclain Kudontoni told the Weekend Nation that its candidates met the obligation and that the mess comes about due to MEC’s finance department’s “inefficiency and NAO is harbouring a vendetta against Bineth Trust.

He said: “It is not true that our candidates contested the elections without paying nominations fees, they all paid. Some candidates paid for themselves while others failed to raise the amount and were supported by the party. I think they [NAO] have personal grudges with Bineth because what I know is that all our candidates paid the nomination fees.”

Ironically, both MEC and DPP have disputed the NAO findings, with each side coming up with an own version to clean its slate but ending up in a collision. The financial transactions were made when the DPP was led by the late Bingu wa Mutharika.

In its effort to run away from being accused of flouting procedures, being corrupt and making ghost payment, MEC has claimed that the nomination fees for 192 DPP candidates were paid by the Bineth Trust, which was under former president and DPP leader late Bingu wa Mutharika. Bineth and former first lady, the late Ethel Mutharika, Bingu’s spouse.

“Bineth Trust paid for the DPP candidates and that is why there was a refund of all candidates who reached a threshold of five percent of total valid votes, and MEC supplied the auditors with evidence of payment after their query was raised and it was not even raised in their later draft audit report,” Mwafulirwa is quoted. But sources have indicated that NAO did not issue another draft audit report that cleared the issue as claimed by Mwafulirwa.

But DPP says the nomination fees were paid by each candidate putting MEC in a fix as to why it paid Bineth Trust and not the respective individuals.

The NAO’s audit exercise was conducted between November 15 2012 and August 21 2013 and covered the financial transactions at the electoral body from July2008 to June2012.

The financial deals are contained in a management letter ref no. SC/6/8/2012 from the Auditor General to MEC’s Chief Elections Officer Willie Kalonga dated February 4 2015, which Weekend Nation claim have seen and show that MEC paid the money to Bineth Trust on June 12 2009 through Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) cheque number 000175.

The audit was conducted between November 15 2012 and August 21 2013 and upon examination of general receipts, bank deposit slips, bank statements and nomination forms for all candidates who contested for the parliamentary seats on May 19 2009, the NAO audit team found no documentation to indicate that MEC got and banked the K19.2 million nomination fees from the 192 DPP contestants.

“There was no record at the [MEC] to indicate that nomination fees totalling K19 200 000 were received and banked and yet all the candidates contested for the seats contrary to the electoral standing rules which state that only those who had paid the nomination fees had to stand for the elections,” reads in part the letter headlined Management Letter on the Audit of Malawi Electoral Commission for the years ended 30th June 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The NAO letter was copied to Secretary to the Treasury, Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet and the Assistant Auditor General and recommends that MEC management should always ensure that only those who have paid the nomination fees stand for elections.

The letter indicates that the MEC management promised to investigate the eyebrow raising circumstances that might have led to the anomaly and report back once we receive the final audit report from the Auditor General.

NAO spokesperson Lawrence Chinkhunda was non committal saying NAO cannot comment on the issues until they finalise their consultations.

But in a recent press release signed by Willie Kalonga that MEC indicated that the DPP paid for all its candidates through Bineth Trust.

“As a matter of fact, the analysis of the nomination fees from the districts assumed that all nomination fees were paid at the districts. However, candidates for the DPP were paid for by Bineth Trust as a lump sum and their nomination fees could not, therefore, have come from the districts.

“Related to this, the auditors also raised an issue on the refund of K19.1 million which MEC gave to Bineth Trust for the candidates who competed on the ticket of DPP. MEC clarified to them that the party paid K19.2 million for all its candidates through the Trust and that is why a refund for the candidates who qualified had to be made to the Trust.”

In a related development, the audit also faults MEC for failing to account for nomination fees for the May 19, 2009 presidential and parliamentary candidates amounting to K36.6 million.

Some 1 171 candidates— eight were vying for presidency— contested in the polls from which MEC was expected to collect K120.3 million in nomination fees which were paid between February 6 and March 24, 2009.

However only K83.7 million was deposited into the commission’s account and recorded on the bank statement while the balance of K36.6 million could not be accounted for.

In a press release, MEC denied being party to anomalies raised in a draft report by the National Audit Office saying.

“The current Commission would like to state categorically that it is not answerable for issues arising from management of the 2009 elections. The current Commissioners were appointed on May 19, 2012 with the Chairman joining them on 9th October, 2012,” reads a statement in part signed by MEC chief elections officer Willie Kalonga.

MEC  argues that the gaps came about due to the fact that  some documents could not be made available to the auditors claiming they had been mishandled by agents of the state namely the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Fiscal Police when they were investigating reports of suspected fraud on MEC finance staff in 2009 that saw members of staff who were arraigned discharged by the “competent” court of law.

“The Commission is of the view that the audit issues are not an issue of fraud but just unavailability of accounting records due to reasons already stated. The very same reasons that documents could not be found because they were mishandled are the same why it was not possible to present them to the NAO auditors,” the statement signed by Kalonga on June 25 2015 explains.

It is not known what action would other bodies take on MEC and the DPP candidates who by not paying the nomination fees represented their respective constituencies illegally.

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has asked its newly recruited staff to give their best if they are to play a noble role that will contribute to the consolidation of democracy through holding of credible by-elections.

Mtafu :We will dismiss you if found engaged in malpractices

Commissioner Elvey Kalonga Mtafu made the statement at the New Jerusalemu Private Secondary School in Mzuzu city on Sunday when she closed a two-day training workshop for voter registration, verification for quality control managers, camera operators and supervisors.

The training was aimed at equipping the new staff with all the information, knowledge and skills that they will need to perform their duties effectively ahead of the registration exercise which commences this coming Wednesday .

Mzuzu city in particular Chibanja ward will hold the by-elections on July 25 to give residents of the area a platform to choose a new councilor to represent them at the district council on matters of development.

Charles Nyirongo who was duly elected on May 20, 2014 Malawi Tripartite Elections to represent the people of this area, died last year hence the by-elections.

But Mtafu who was the guest of honour said voter registration and verification in any election are vital if the people are to exercise their governance right.

“Let me ask you the beneficiaries of the workshop to put to good use all what you have horned to avoid messing up the democracy,” Mtafu said.

The commissioner said during the previous registration exercise, the commission had received complaints that some registration staff were disrespectful to registrants, the malpractice she said should not be repeated to avoid undermining the credibility of the by-elections including tarnishing the commissions reputation.

She urged the staff including those of the secretariat and district offices to be courteous and polite to all people who come for the verification or registration so that every person to come to the centers is not discouraged by the fear of facing unkind registration staff.

She warned that MEC will fire anyone caught in the malpractices.

One of the staff Edina Chione said the training was an eye-opener.

The Malawi Electoral Commission says the registration and inspection of voters’ roll for the Local Government By-elections will start onWednesday, July 15, and end on Sunday, July 19.

Kalonga: MEC will not accept registrants or transfers from outside the wards where the elections are taking place

Chief Elections Officer Willie Kalonga says in statement made available to Nyasa Times that the registration centres will open to the public from 8AM to 4PM on all days including weekends.

“The Commission will register first-time voters who have attained the voting age after May 20, 2014 or will turn 18 by August 25, 2015. For non-Malawians, apart from being of age, they should have been ordinarily resident in the country for the last seven years. Refugees and asylum seekers are not eligible to register,” Kalonga says.

He says the Commission will not register anyone who was eligible to register during the last registration exercise but failed to do so for whatever reason.

“The Commission will also not accept registrants or transfers from outside the wards where the elections are taking place. The Commission is also reminding the general public that electoral laws allow eligible persons to register where they were born, stay, carryout business or work.”

The Commission is encouraging all 2 registration staff, monitors and chiefs to ensure that all persons who register at the centres meet these criteria.

All persons who registered in the May 2014 Tripartite Elections, and the October 7, 2014 by-elections in case of Luchenza Ward, whether they voted or not, are requested to inspect their details in the voters’ roll at the centre where they registered.

Registered voters who lost their certificates are asked to go to the centre where they registered to get a replacement certificate that will enable them to vote easily.

The by-elections will be held in the following wards:

• Khwawa in Karonga
• Chibanja in Mzuzu
• Msikisi in Mangochi
• Zomba Central in Zomba
• Luchenza in Luchenza

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says the registration of voters for the August 25, 2015 by-election will continue despite the Eid Ul Fitr holiday on Monday.

Mwafulirwa: By-elections registration to go on

MEC spokesperson, Sangwani Mwafulirwa while wishing the Muslim community a happy celebration, encouraged eligible persons to take advantage of the holiday to patronize registration centres.

“This is an advantage for people who find it difficult to go for verification or registration during work time because of their schedules. Not all people are going for the celebrations, so for those ones we encourage them to ensure that they register or verify their details if they are living in wards where the by-elections will take place,” he said.

Mwafulirwa added that there will be no extension to the period set by the Commission for this exercise and that centres will close at 4PM or when the last person registers on Sunday, July 19, 2015.

The Malawi Electoral Commission is preparing for by-elections to take place in Khwawa Ward in Karonga, Chibanja ward in Mzuzu, Msikisi ward in Mangochi, Luchenza ward in Luchenza and Zomba Central Ward in Zomba.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 informs the general public that on advice from the Muslim Association of Malawi, this year’s Eid ul-Fitri Prayers marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadhan will be conducted either on Friday 17th July or Saturday 18th July 2015 depending on the sighting of the new moon.

“Such being the case, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development further wishes to inform the general public that if the Prayers will be held on 17th July, this year’s Eid UI Fitr Public Holiday will be observed on the same day, similarly if the Prayers will be conducted on 18th July then the public holiday will be observed on Monday 20th July, 2015,” reads part of the statement.

The ministry further advises that an announcement on the actual date of prayers will be made by the Muslim Association of Malawi.

Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) on Thursday released the much awaited detailed report on the May 20, 2014 elections which ushered President Peter Mutharika to power controversially.

The report is decrying the continued abuse of public resources during electoral period by ruling parties and the reluctance of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to open up to opposition political parties.

Commissioner Chinkwita Phiri (left) and MEC chair Justice Maxon Mbendera

Mutharika, 76, the younger brother of president Bingu wa Mutharika who died in office in 2012, was declared winner of the disputed polls.

MEC report has been long overdue after  a renowned governance body Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) criticised the “flawed” election of Mutharika, saying the result was tainted by “substantial electoral irregularities”.

The state-funded Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) also released its report which noted  that the elections that ushered Mutharika to powere were not fair, not transparent and therefore not credible.

In the 75-paged MEC report  signed by all Commissioner which has been submitted to President Mutharika, the electoral body has since called for strict enforcement of the Communications Act to ensure the public broadcaster treat all candidates and political parties fairly and equally.

MEC revealed in the report that during the electoral period, it held a meeting with MBC management after it was observed that it was bias toward the then ruling Peoples Party (PP) and its allies.

“As one way of levelling the play field, the Commission held two meetings with the Board of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). The first meeting was held on April 4, 2014 at the MEC Head Office to find means on how the broadcaster could treat all electoral players equitably. It was observed that the public broadcaster was biased towards the ruling party and its allies,” reads in the report in part.

Among other recommendations, the electoral body has called for legal reforms that will check abuses of state resources during campaign and the need for investment in the improvement of results management.

MEC also said there is a need for the country to migrate to a new biometric voter registration system with electronic field data capture.

“The 2014 tripartite elections were a significant step in the sustenance of democracy in Malawi as they marked the return of local governance structures after over a decade. The combination of three elections presented an enormous task for the Malawi Electoral Commission. The challenges faced in the conduct of the elections are very important lessons for the conduct of future elections,” reads the report.

According to the report, the elections had a 70.7 percent Voter Turnout with percentage of Valid Votes against Registered Voters at 69.99 percent. 1.07 percent was null and Void against Total Votes cast. 7,470,806 people registered to vote with 5,228,583 as a total Valid votes. Null and Void votes were 56,695 with a total Votes Cast at 5,285,278.

In the MHRC report, MEC was criticised for its poor “preparedness “. And that the credibility of the elections, in terms of both the process and the outcome is “therefore cast in very serious doubts.”

The rights commission recommended that the elections management capacity of MEC needs to be strengthened, including among other things by ensuring that Malawi graduates from dependence on donors to fund its elections.

“Government should be committed to fully and timely fund Malawi’s elections,” recommends MHRC.

The rights commission also recommends that detailed in-depth investigations into the shortcomings and irregularities of the elections should be carried out “in order to identify the root causes and put the issue of whether or not these developments were a result of deliberate manipulation to rest.”

MHRC also called for several electoral reforms, including overhauling the first-past-the-post system to a system where the winner is voted for by a majority—and further discusses flaws during the pre-election period, during the eventual period and a five-month post-election period.

Speaker of Malawi parliament, Richard Msowoya has called for electoral reforms to improve the representativeness, legitimacy and inclusiveness of the electoral process and its outcomes.

Speaker Msowoya: Electoral reforms

Speaking on Sunday in Mchinji at a political rally addressed by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president and leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera, Msowoya, who stressed that he was speaking in his capacity as MCP vice president, said lawmakers should change the electoral laws to ensure elections are credible at every stage.

He said Malawi’s Constitution allows MPs to change laws where necessary.

“When I went to Parliament, I noticed that there are problems with how we manage our elections especially at constituency level. We must know the results of the local council and parliamentary elections before the results leave the constituencies.

“Even for the results of the President, it is important that the results at constituency level are known before those papers leave for the main tally centre in Blantyre. It is up to you MPs to bring the laws that will address these problems,” said Msowoya.

A national post election conference exposed dissatisfaction by several stakeholders with the management of the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections.

There have been calls to scrap off the first-past-the-post electoral system and other reforms aimed at improving legitimacy of the country’s election system and the credibility of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

About 30 aspiring candidates for the yet-to-be held By-elections have submitted their nomination papers to the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec).

Mwafulirwa: Calls for peaceful campaign

According to MEC’s Media and Public Relations Manager, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, the electoral body received the nominations papers on Tuesday, a day before a campaign period for the elections is officially opened.

MEC has recieved six nominations from Khwawa Ward, Chibanja Ward seven nominations, Zomba Central Ward six nominations, Msikisi Ward six nominations and five nominations from Luchenza Ward.

”Be informed that the official campaign period commences on Wednesday July 29, 2015 and will end at 6am on August, 23, 2015,” explained Mwafulirwa in a media statement.

There was panic among the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) officials and it;s supporters at Chibanja Ward on Tuesday in Mzuzu city constituency during the submission of nomination papers for the forthcoming byelection whose function took place at the New Jerusalem school .

DPP candidate Manda will contest

MCP candidate Mlongera

Mafunde candidate files nomination

Returning Officer Lobo Tembo announced that the DPP candidate George Manda was on the verge of being disqualified from contesting in the by-elections slated for August 25 unless some things on his nomination papers were corrected.

Before the announcement was done, the writing was on the wall that something on the table where the certification process was being done went wrong.

All the jovial mood and pomp, the smiling faces disappeared unceremoniously. Consultations were seen taking place, others were on phones as they left the room one by-one cracking brains to rescue the situation.

The DPP district governor for Mzuzu, Aston Msukwa who was also former Mzuzu Stadium supervisor was seen sweating and pointing an accusing finger at the returning officer but later things normalized after some party members rushed home to get the fresh certificates. Fortunately the drama unfolded in the morning hours ad closing was at 4:00pm.

When they were certified fit, there was handclapping and ululation bringing back their smiles.

In an interview, Tembo said :“For one to contest people must nominate you, so, seven nominees of George out of ten were fit but the three failed the test as their voting certificates were of the 2009 elections when we needed registered voters of 2014 or 2015 in our electoral system hence you saw the panic.”

It was not only the DPP candidate who was locked in a similar drama but also Ulaya Kaunda of the Mafunde Party.

Those that submitted without challenges included the Malawi Congress Party’s Charles Mlogera, Alliance for Democracy’s Gibson Chisale, Peoples Party’s Blackson Gondwe, Esmey Zinthambo Jere of Umodzi Party and independent candidate Mike Phiri.

Independent candidates William Mbale, Isaac Kalimandanda, Hope Mande, Mclean Tembo withdrew from the race. Other independent candidates Benedicto Israel Tembo and Rev. Christopher Kammasamba were disqualified for not submitting by 4:00pm.

MEC is conducting the Local Government By-elections in Chibanja ward because councilor Charles Nyirongo who was duly elected during the 2014 May 20 Tripartite Elections died.

Multi-Party Liaison Committee (MPLC) in Mzuzu city has resolved that it will use the Council chamber as the tally centre for the August 25 Chibanja -ward by-elections.

MPLC sitting in Mzuzu resolves that chamber be tally centre

The MPLC, a political grouping that manages conflict during election period from degenerating into unmanageable levels, made the resolution on Thursday at its council meeting in Mzuzu .

The Mzuzu City Acting Chief Executive officer Victor Masina who is also chairperson for the MPLC confirmed the development in an interview saying the decision therefore dismisses the New Jerusalem private school centre which was earlier on recommend by the same committee  to be the tally.

“Yes, we called for the MPLC meeting because we wanted members to resolve whether to continue with Jerusalem or relocate to the council as per concern raised by political parties,” said Masina.

He added that Mndeba school could have been the next centre but it is equally bad as electricity is also not there’’.

Masina said the reversing of the earlier decision was arrived at after political parties were concerned that with lack of electricity, poor road network to the New Jerusalem was going to compromise the good service delivery and the credibility of the by-elections.

He observed that the idea was of great significance because on this day there will be a lot of appliances like computers, faxes, printers among others which would require uninterrupted high amount of electricity, the capacity generators cannot accommodate as sometimes are not reliable.

Masina said the idea was brilliant and this is why MPLC members like political parties that will feature candidates in the coming by-elections including other stake holders like the police officer In charge, district education manager, head of criminal investigation department, Nice, district information officer public Affairs Committee, traditional authorities and district elections clerk did not object to the proposal.

Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) has bemoaned challenges people with disabilities experience during elections and has since called for electoral reforms to ensure disability issues are incorporated in the country’s electoral system.

MEC officials with Fedoma members

MEC on Thursday had an interface meeting with Federation of Organizations with Disabilities (Fedoma) to seek views to be incorporated in the electoral reforms the institution will soon undertakes.

In an interview with Nyasa Times on the sidelines of the intermeeting, Commissioner Ambassador Reverend Emmanuel sChimkwita-Phiri said there was need for strategies and adoption of technologies that would help people with disabilities participate in electoral processes without challenges.

“This is the time to source views and reflect on discriminatory initiatives and other areas of electoral reform to ensure we increase the number of people with disabilities’ participation. There are several challenges we faced during the 2014 tripartite elections concerning people with disabilities such as infrastructure used during elections; most of buildings used don’t have access structures to aid people with disabilities participate in the electoral process smoothly,” said  Chimkwita-Phiri.

Chimkwita-Phiri called for the incorporation of disability issues in the electoral laws to ensure that concerns people with disabilities have are dealt with legally.

Fedoma Executive Director, Action Amos described the participation of people with disabilities in the 2014 elections as average, arguing there were no deliberate initiatives set to influence them to compete in the elections.

“Mec had put up an initiative to increase women participation in elections but there was no such initiative designed for people with disabilities. The playing field was not equal. The electoral challenges experienced last year affected every one include people with disabilities Amos.

He then hailed Mec for embarking in electoral reforms in readiness for 2019 elections, saying courting his organization will help to raise and address concerns and the needs of people with disabilities in regards to electoral processes.

The Malawi Electoral Commission has disqualified, Blackson Gondwe, a candidate for the Peoples Party for Chibanja ward, Mzuzu city in the by-elections slated for August 25 in five wards.

Esmey Zinthambo Jere (Left )  submits a nomination to wars returning officer Lobo Jere

The candidate also risk arrest by the Police for obtaining registration in a fraudulent way and also lying to a public officer that he is a duly registered voter and forgery.

A statement from the Commission says that the decision was effected because Gondwe obtained registration certificate fraudulently and his same does not appear on the list of registered voters.

The Commission has on July 28, 2015 received 30 nominations and launched the official campaign the following day. However, in a statement released on Saturday, MEC said it has accepted 29 candidates to contest and disqualified one for electoral fraud.

Asked why the issues could not be detected during receipt of nominations, MEC spokesperson, Sangwani Mwafulirwa said Gondwe presented a copy of a registration certificate that looked original but does not appear in the MEC database.

He said a candidate can be disqualified at any stage of the electoral process before voting if information avails which proves his ineligibility.

The statement from MEC explains that the Peoples Party will not be given a second chance to identify another candidate as nomination by substation is not acceptable.

“The Commission also upheld the precedent and guidance made during the May 2014 Tripartite Elections that nomination by substitution is not applicable under the current legal framework.

“This means that the Peoples Party will not have a candidate in Chibanja Ward By-elections. The candidate has, however, been given the opportunity to appeal with the High Court of Malawi,” reads the statement.

This development if not reversed will mean reduction of Peoples Party candidates from five to four. The other party that has field five candidates is the Malawi Congress Party.

The Democratic Progressive Party has four candidates, the United Democratic Front two, Mafunde three, Aford two, Umodzi one and there are eight independent candidates.

All the candidates are as follows:

Khwawa Ward

1. Oswell Mdokera Chavula,         Independent
2. Langfield Kanyimbo,       People’s Party
3. Alick Tchokola Mhango,  Malawi Congress Party
4. Bydon Katambika Msiska,         Democratic Progressive Party
5. John Chipapika Msiska,   Alliance for Democracy
6. Hawkings Mtotomoka Munthali,         United Democratic Front

Chiabanja Ward

1. Gibson Chisale,      Alliance for Democracy
2. Ulaya Kaunda,       Malawi Forum for Unity and Development
3. George Manda,  Democratic Progressive Party
4. Charles Mlogera,  Malawi Congress Party
5. Mike Phiri,   Independent
6. Esmey Zinthambo Jere,  Umodzi Party

Msikisi Ward

1. Fatima Chilawi,      Independent
2. Rasha Chisoni, Malawi Forum for Unity and Development
3. Frank Kambeta,     Malawi Congress Party
4. Wellington Mangulenje,  Independent
5. Idana Masiye,        People’s Party
6. Oliver Tayub,         United Democratic Front

Zomba Central Ward

1. Munira Abdullah,  Independent
2. Melia Likoswe Douglas, Democratic Progressive Party
3. Harry John Mningwa,      Malawi Forum for Unity and Development
4. Wilknes Wilson Nakanga,          Peoples Party
5. Prisca Golozera Unyolo,  Malawi Congress Party
6. Debora Ngwinji Wallani,  Independent

Luchenza ward

1. Joseph Khoromana,         Independent
2. Mercy Luwanda     ,         Independent
3. Dorothy Chibwana Mbayani,  Peoples Party
4. Henderson Alex Spoon, Democratic Progressive Party
5. James Namilonga Stenala,  Malawi Congress Party