By Vincent Gunde
Political analyst Burnett Munthali, says if one party’s nominees are consistently rejected, it undermines multiparty representation at the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) and this risks creating perceptions of bias in the management of elections.
Munthali’s remarks are coming in the wake of government’s rejection for the third time a candidate submitted by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the appointment as Mec Commissioner by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera- the appointing authority.
The DPP first submitted the name of Mackford Somanje to replace resigned Mec Commissioner Francis Kasaila, Somanje’s name was rejected by the appointing authority making the DPP to choose another one.
The party settled for Mayamiko Nkoloma as its Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) expert, the name was rejected for the second time for the reasons best explained by the appointing authority- President Chakwera.
The DPP did not lose hope but to submit another name to be its ICT expert at Mec- Charles Fodya, the appointing authority has again rejected his appointment making many Malawians to speak on top of their voices that what exactly President Chakwera wants from the DPP?
Munthali said according to Section 75 of the Constitution of Malawi, all political parties represented in Parliament are entitled to nominate commissioners to the Mec saying the President has the power to appoint, but his power is not absolute-it must respect the principle of inclusivity and fairness.
“It is not about names of commissioners- it is about electoral credibility, Constitutionalism, and political legitimacy,” he said.
Business entrepreneur Kondwani Kachamba Ngwira has asked the MCP led government under President Chakwera that what are they afraid of by rejecting three names submitted by the DPP, appealing to it to say who do they want from the DPP to be appointed Mec Commissioner.
Kachamba Ngwira says this kind of politics has no space in modern Malawi observing that Malawi is not ruled by a military Junta saying the country is for all, the MCP government is doing all of what it can for one to commit an offence to advance in their political agenda.
‘This one is black, this one eats mice, this one is purely white, what the MCP wants from DPP will be known, this is not normal, raises an alarm, the reason behind, very shameful,” reads his writings on the wall.
