Local government elections were scheduled to take place in April 2011 but preparations were discontinued due to an impromptu sealing of MEC offices by late president Mutharika in December 2010. However, the commission dares that come May 2014 Malawians will be given the opportunity to vote for ward councillors in addition to electing their parliamentarians and president. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the re-demarcation exercise was not completed in 2010 because the Commission was closed. “At the time of closure, we had only finished collecting information. This information is what the technocrats and experts call scenarios on the new boundaries that would help us develop new maps,” said Commissioner Archbishop Emeritus Dr. Bernard Malango in Chikhwawa Monday January 14 2013.
The sentiments were also echoed byCommissioners Ambassador Reverend Emmanuel Chinkwita-Phiri and Dr. Wellington Mkwepu Nakanga in Salima and Chitipa, where they were respectively chairing the on-going public hearings on ward re-demarcations, director of media and public relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa confirmed Monday night.
The late professor Bingu wa Mutharika ordered that the electoral commission be suspended amid talks of grave fraud that ended up with the police sealing the electoral commission’s headquarters in Blantyre.
The suspension followed an alarming audit report that indicated that some US$ 9 million meant for local government elections could not be accounted for. But the figures kept on lowering by the passing of time.
Full Article: Electoral commission racing against time in Malawi | Newstime Africa.
