Salima District Commissioner Charles Mwawembe has advised the newly elected Multi-party Liaison Committee members for Salima South Constituency not to take sides in resolving issues of violence that may arise in the area during campaign period and when the Electoral body announces the official results of 21 May tripartite poll.
Mwawembe said for the elections to be free and fair, party members in the committee has the responsibility to make sure their followers are not insinuating violence adding that the malpractice might affect the polls.
He said this on Friday at Traditional Authority Ndindi’s Headquarters when he officially graced the appointment and later opened a one day training session for the new MPLC for the area.
“As a committee the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has entrusted MPLC to act as electoral conflict management and resolution structure at local level as it is comprised with almost all political party membership hence the re-election of the new members, “he said.
The DC further said as the electoral body depends on MPLC’s in conflict management at local level, the councils also count on the committee in resolving conflicts and build unity, promote tolerance among others to create a conducive environment for the electorate.
He therefore urged all members to use whatever they learned and apply it during their work and make the committee effective for the country to have a peaceful campaign period.
According to TA Ndindi, the re-election and training of MPLC for Salima South Constituency has come at the rightful time as it is an official campaign period and some party followers are perpetrators of violence.
“Since I am the Chairperson of the committee at the constituency level, I will make sure the committee bears good fruits and we will make sure no one abuses or mislead us when resolving misunderstandings among different political parties in our area,” he said.
The chief further urged parties not to use young people in violence but take all their misunderstandings to MPLC’s in their areas without delay adding that the faster the disagreement are presenting to MPLC the easier and faster the case will be solved at local level.
The re-election and orientation of Salima South Constituency MPLC was been organized by Young Politicians Union (YPU) from the district with financial assistance from Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC). YPU is expected to re-elect MPLC’s in all the remaining four constituencies before 21 May Tripartite polls.
