….analyst faults the opposition
It never rains, but it pours for the Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Annabell Mtalimanja, as the People’s Development Party (PDP) leader, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has become the latest to demand her resignation.
The PDP has joined four other major parties from the opposition bloc in demanding the replacement of Mtalimanja and the electoral body chief elections officer, Andrew Mpesi, for allegedly being sympathisers of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), a key member of the ruling Tonse alliance.
Nakhumwa made the call during a press briefing held on Tuesday at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Lilongwe, expressing fear that justice Mtalimanja is “incapacitated” and not “fit” to lead the commission to a free, fair and credible general elections, which are expected to be held on September 16, 2025.
A couple of weeks ago, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the United Democratic Front (UDF), the UTM party and the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) set the ball rolling by demanding the resignation of the two senior officials at MEC.
Among other concerns, the parties have expressed dissatisfaction with the ongoing voter registration exercise, which they say has been rocked by several serious irregularities.
In a joint letter to various electoral stakeholders, the opposition parties demanded the termination of the SMARTMATICS contract, suspension of the voter registration exercise, National Registration Bureau (NRB) compliance with a court order, the use of a manual electoral process and the use of an independent Information Communication Technology (ICT) firm.
In his remarks, Nankhumwa asked Mtalimanja to step down and pave the way for new leadership at the institution.
“I have known Justice Mtalimanja as a highly educated person and full of integrity. However, due to various problems that have recently rocked the electoral process under her watch, I urge her to resign from her position because I can foretell that even if she delivers quality work, people will still not trust her, a thing which has a potential to ignite commotion in the country,” said Nankhumwa.
He added: “The fact that Mtalimanja is a daughter to former MCP leader, the late John Tembo, raises serious suspicions as far as the outcomes of the elections are concerned.”
Nankhumwa cited a case of the judiciary saying, “Even in the judiciary, a judge may recuse himself or herself on a particular case if there is some sort of conflict.”
During their last press briefing, the opposition parties gave MEC an ultimatum until 13th November 2024 to have their concerns addressed and also warned to hold unspecified actions including but not limited to holding vigils at MEC offices.
However, political analyst, Dr.George Chaima has faulted Nankhumwa and the opposition bloc for lacking a clear basis for for the resignation of Mtalimanja.
“I recall correctly, hon. Nankhumwa was the leader of the opposition when Mtalimanja took up her job. He was in charge who would have given proper direction to the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) during her recruitment if that was the case,” said Chaima.
Chaima also trashed the issue surrounding the relationship between the late John Tembo and Justice Mtalimanja, saying this is not a reason enough warranting her resignation.
He wondered: “Who else will head MEC without belonging to any political party? Nobody. I feel that the opposition side has failed to build a strong case against Annabell Mtalimanja because she was recruited on merit and following the letter of the law up to the end.”
Chaima advised that it is high time the country respected parliamentary decisions, which are trusted to make the laws and fulfil them in their duties without political influence outside the legal framework mandated by the law.
