Malawi has been seriously warned to tread carefully on implementation of electoral reforms including the highly debated 50+1 threshold of national vote.
This follows a recent move by the Special Law Commission to adopt a 50+1 vote proposed law that will see the country receding from the winner-takes-it-all scenario of electing the president.
With the new system, the winning president will have to amass at least 50+1 percent of the national vote.
In the previous elections, Malawi had been using the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) or winner-takes-all system to elect presidents, Members of Parliament (MPs) and ward councillors.
In the run-off system, if no candidate reaches the required rate during the first poll, a run-off will have to be held in which two presidential candidates who obtained the highest and second highest number of valid votes cast should be the only candidates.
For this to be adopted, Parliament needs to amend Section 80 (2) of the Constitution and Section 96 (5) of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections (PPE) Act to provide change of the electoral system to the 50+1 threshold.
But what could be done for such reforms to be implemented without hustles? Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) Director, Steve Duwa says all these require treating them with a ‘sober mind’.
He says: “The expectation is that electoral stakeholders should engage in a robust but sober debate on the need for prioritising the recommendations and draft bills from the Commission; i.e which recommendations should be implemented in the short, medium and long term. This is why I say we avoid wholesale implementation and I believe that this is why this report will go to Ministry of Justice then Cabinet before Parliament.”
Duwa told Malawi24 in an email response on Wednesday that the Special Law Commission on the review of electoral laws has taken on board majority of the recommendations from the national taskforce adding that recommendations from several stakeholders including MESN were really looked into by the commission.
Initially in reaction to the report by the Special Law Commission, MESN indicated it remained satisfied.
“MESN is generally satisfied and applaud the Commission for the thorough analysis and professional approach to the issues presented or identified for its consideration for the law reform process. MESN believes that the report generally presents the true spirit of the intentions and aspirations of majority of Malawians consulted so far over the electoral reforms agenda,” said Duwa.
He went on to advise lawmakers not to be cautious and not to be overexcited when taking the bill to the House through private members bills.
Duwa also made mention that ahead of the polls in 2019, MESN has noted that the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has been implementing sound reforms.
The electoral body was slammed over several irregularities such as provision of equipment during the 2014 elections.
But he expressed worry as regards to women representation in the elections.
‘’I would prioritise the recommendation on increasing women representation in parliament and local councils because it addresses a national need, ‘’ said Duwa.
Unlike in the 2009 polls, in 2014 it was revealed that women performed miserably in the elections despite unending efforts to up the numbers of women in politics.
Official results by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) show that 32 women out of 261 who vied for parliamentary seats won. This is in contrast to the 2009 poll in which 43 women were elected as lawmakers in the 193 member House.
On the part of Local Government Elections in 2014, of the 457 councillors elected during the last elections, there were only 56 women who won while the remaining 401 were men.
Malawi goes to the polls in 2019 to vote for a President, Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ward Councillors in its second time of holding a tripartite election.
The minority view of today, becomes the views of majority tomorrow.
The minority view of today, becomes the views of majority tomorrow.
Where were these Experts , when we needed them most?? They should have given their EXPERT ADVICE to the nation….who to vote for….in 2014…..that’s when we needed them most…….
Where were these Experts , when we needed them most?? They should have given their EXPERT ADVICE to the nation….who to vote for….in 2014…..that’s when we needed them most…….
A country with more than 20 political parties adopting ths kinda system is ridiculous
A country with more than 20 political parties adopting ths kinda system is ridiculous
My question z kodi zitakhala kuti ma results Ali chonchi: 38% DPP, 27% MCP, 20% PP and 15 UDF….. NDE kuti zinhakhale bwanji pamenepa?
My question z kodi zitakhala kuti ma results Ali chonchi: 38% DPP, 27% MCP, 20% PP and 15 UDF….. NDE kuti zinhakhale bwanji pamenepa?
It working well in Zambia so far
Mmmm ndie poti mcp sinapezepo morethan 30% so mukufuna azafe otsutsa eti
Mmmm ndie poti mcp sinapezepo morethan 30% so mukufuna azafe otsutsa eti
ERECTION Expert!!
ERECTION Expert!!
Even a cockroach can tell you kuti 50 + 1 is 1000 times better than the current system which allowed a guy with 36 % of votes to be president over the majority of us that did not vote for him.
Even a cockroach can tell you kuti 50 + 1 is 1000 times better than the current system which allowed a guy with 36 % of votes to be president over the majority of us that did not vote for him.
Eeeeee stupid akutumani etiii 50+1 basi osathawa mesamwati anthu akukukondani ku Malawi kuno
Ngati mukuopa kumaka ma striker awa
Gwengwe and Msungama
Ndiye mukuopa chani
Eeeeee stupid akutumani etiii 50+1 basi osathawa mesamwati anthu akukukondani ku Malawi kuno
Ngati mukuopa kumaka ma striker awa
Gwengwe and Msungama
Ndiye mukuopa chani
Pa ndilande hospital ground ukoooo Ku msika waukulu…ndakusowa Ku ndilande
Pa ndilande hospital ground ukoooo Ku msika waukulu…ndakusowa Ku ndilande
Mukufuna anthuwa azatibulane eti ok tiyenazoni
Mukufuna anthuwa azatibulane eti ok tiyenazoni
Others warned us too when we were adopting multiparty system of government in 1992.
Others warned us too when we were adopting multiparty system of government in 1992.
No need to warn us. Enough with minority governments.
Indeed….enough is enough
No need to warn us. Enough with minority governments.
Indeed….enough is enough
my brother masamu munkatenga koma.chisankho chobwereza chidzakhala ndi zipani ziwiri zomwe zayandikira.100% kuigawana anthu awiri obviously wina apeza 51 plus %.mzosatheka 50 50 grow some balls dickhead
maganizo oti owina azifika 5o% mavote, sizingatheke pokhapokha zipani zoimira zisachuluke kuposa zinayi koma ngat zingakhale 10 ngat muja zinalili 2014 ndizosatheka, ndie muzizavota katatu amene mumakhala ndi nthawi yoteroyo
Our experts akways amaze me: they never see positives which happen in other countries nor the chaos happening..
We place ourselves as mothers of everything. Afraid to change anything.
We are cautious into static state
Our experts akways amaze me: they never see positives which happen in other countries nor the chaos happening..
We place ourselves as mothers of everything. Afraid to change anything.
We are cautious into static state
Even with 1,000 political parties the system can work. They use numbers, remember!
Even with 1,000 political parties the system can work. They use numbers, remember!
Don’t start scaring people.
Don’t start scaring people.
TRUE, the system cant work with mote than 100 politcal parties.
TRUE, the system cant work with mote than 100 politcal parties.
my brother masamu munkatenga koma.chisankho chobwereza chidzakhala ndi zipani ziwiri zomwe zayandikira.100% kuigawana anthu awiri obviously wina apeza 51 plus %.mzosatheka 50 50 grow some balls dickhead
It’s a requirement osati zomatiza to tread careful, for what?
It’s a requirement osati zomatiza to tread careful, for what?
Mavuto ziko langa
Mavuto ziko langa
ahhh kodi election expert ndiye uti?muthu oti anavota kambiri?ali ndi degree in elections?kkkkkkk election expert my foot!these are scared underachievers and we cant continue to elect presidents with unpopular votes
ahhh kodi election expert ndiye uti?muthu oti anavota kambiri?ali ndi degree in elections?kkkkkkk election expert my foot!these are scared underachievers and we cant continue to elect presidents with unpopular votes
haha.. = 501 imeneyo
haha.. = 501 imeneyo