MCP raps MEC: We have no trust in you

The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has made it clear that it has lost trust in Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).

MCP has said this days after the country’s electoral body announced that it has cancelled by-elections which were supposed to be held on 6th June this year in some parts of the country.

The party’s deputy publicity secretary Eisenhower Mkaka has accused MEC of being used and controlled by a certain group.

“It is clearly showing that MEC has a part here, section 9 of our Constitution states clearly that only courts have the mandate to interpret the laws, as a party we have no confidence in this body,” he said.

Mkaka was referring to the recent announcement by MEC that it will hold by-elections in Lilongwe City South East constituency contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling which said a re-run should be held.

On his part, Democratic Progressive Party publicity secretary Francis Kasaila said whatever the case their party has got full confidence in Justice Jane Ansah’s MEC.

“We have got 100 percent confidence in this body,” Kasaila was quoted on the local radio.

But when asked to comment on the matter, Ansah said people should not lose trust in her body since there is a clear reason it has postponed the by-elections.

“There is no basis for any political party or organisation to lose trust in MEC, the issue of funds according to the Secretary of Treasury has hit many government departments.

“It is not only Lilongwe City South East constituency where elections have been cancelled, there are many areas. This area they are talking about has come just recently,” the chairperson said.

The Supreme Court ruled a couple of weeks ago that there should be a re-run in Lilongwe City South East constituency after it found that there were some irregularities during 2014 parliamentary elections for the constituency  which DPP’s Bentley Namasasu won.

Namasasu’s opponent Ulemu Msungama of MCP logged a complaint to the court against the results of the elections.

According to MEC, the scheduled elections will be held once the body gets money from government in its next financial year which starts on the first day of the month of July every year.

This is happening at a time when Malawi is remaining with just two years to go to the next general elections scheduled to take place in the year 2019 and according to the MEC calendar the registration of voters will commence in April next year.