The Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) has urged the newly elected commissioners of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to work honestly towards proposed reforms.
Speaking to the commissioners on Wednesday in Blantyre, MESN board chairperson Stevie Duwa said there is need to take key challenges that stimulated the call for electoral reforms including problems in the process of elections management and administration, electoral system, civic and voter education and the electoral legal framework.
He called for a timely accreditation and mapping of voter education and voter information providers (at least done 24 months before election day), improvement in the management of election results through demonstrating elections results management system software to political parties and election observers, and piloting the system one month before the election while involving all political parties concerned with the election.
Duwa also said MEC should officially record and post polling stream election results, to post display election results at polling stations to establish clear procedures for resolving problems from data entry of election results that involves MEC, political parties and election observers.
The Mesn chairperson then urged the commissioners to work extra hard to put down critics that came forward following their appointment some months ago.
“I am sure you heard the comments that came with your appointment. Some were positive while others were not really flattering. Let me take this opportunity to indicate that it is an opportunity for you to prove the critics wrong. Work with dedication, excellence and indeed integrity so that when you finish the race, those who have doubted you should regret the doubts,” added Duwa.
MESN has since expressed its commitment to strengthen MEC and to work in partnership with other civil society organisations on the specific reforms as a critical step toward improving confidence in the MEC and overall transparent and fair election process in 2019.
koma mutiuzileko A Mbendera kuti ife amalawi tikulira chifukwa cha nkhaza zawo kulumbilitsa peter munthalika pa mpando wa u president …chifukwa pano akuti tizilipira malo amene anatisiila azigogo athu kusonyeza kuti ndalama zomwe amatibera ife amalawi zamuchepera koma alowelelepo kutibera malo tizizati tikakanika kulipira msonkho iyeyo kutilanda kuikapo zomwe akufuna kapena kugulitsa ndiye kwainu aMbendera ndikanapempha Mulungu tsopano kuti ngati ndikotheka akulangileni pansi pompano pazomwe munachita
Nothing to do
they should work in trustworth