FAM elections

As the countdown to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) polls scheduled for Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi on Saturday draws closer, aspiring candidates are winding down campaign in a last-ditch push for votes.

The FAM electoral committee yesterday announced official campaign for the elections will close this evening at 11pm.

The elections were almost thrown into turmoil after aspiring presidential candidates Wilkins Mijiga and Willy Yabwanya Phiri threatened to obtain an injunction if the voters’ roll was not released by noon yesterday.

Yabwanya Phiri and Mijiga through their lawyer, Lusungu Gondwe, accused the electoral committee of gross disregard of the electoral code that stipulates that the barest minimum the list of 36 delegates must be ready is at least 15 days before the general assembly.

“Violation of Article 22 of the FAM statutes wrecks obvious prejudice to our clients. They do not know the electorate. In other words, you have concealed the identity of the electorate. This is serious contravention of norms and best practices relating to conduct of elections,” the ultimatum reads in part.

But addressing a press briefing yesterday FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda said the letter had no basis since the list was released by 10am.

“As secretariat, we did everything by the book. The letter talked of 12 noon, but by 10am we had already submitted the final list to the electoral body’s chairperson as stipulated by the statutes,” Nyirenda said.

When asked if the list could be assessed by all candidates, Nyirenda, who is the electoral committee’s secretary and spokesperson, referred the matter to his chairperson Dingiswayo Madise.

“All those who want the list can contact the chairperson of the electoral committee,” Nyirenda said. “If the electoral code allows the chairperson to share the list with them, he will do so.”

When contacted, Madise released the list which have published. n