FAM shuns MEC on polls

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it is not involved in Football Association of Malawi (FAM) December 12 elections in any capacity.

MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa confirmed that they were approached for technical assistance, but that after giving the association conditions, FAM never came back to confirm.

“MEC was approached by FAM to help with technical assistance in managing its forthcoming elections,” Mwafulirwa said in an e-mail response.

“MEC assured FAM of its availability and we set out the condition for them to meet.”

The conditions included that MEC should manage the whole polling process.

MEC also asked FAM to make available the electoral college (voters’ roll) accepted by all candidates and names of all contestants competing for all positions not less than three days to polling.

It also demanded that MEC should print all ballot papers and that FAM should allow all candidates to send a monitor during polling and counting.

Mwafulirwa said FAM did not come back to MEC on the conditions.

“To date, FAM has not come back to MEC with confirmation,” said Mwafulirwa. “As it stands today, there is no agreement that MEC will be involved in running the FAM polls.”

However, Mwafulirwa said they were ready to lend FAM the voting materials.

“If FAM would want to use ballot boxes and booths, MEC is willing to make these available even if they will use their own people to run the polls,” he said.

FAM general secretary Suzgo Nyirenda yesterday confirmed that MEC would not be involved in the elections, but denied being given specific conditions.

“I can confirm with you that we actually wrote MEC after the electoral committee meeting on November 14th requesting for ballot booth, ballot box and how the ballot papers can be printed. That is all and we were not given any requirements or conditions,” he said.

MEC’s stance comes at a time when two of the three presidential aspirants Willy Yabwanya Phiri and Wilkins Mijiga and vice-presidency hopeful Tiya Somba-Banda complained that FAM is withholding the voters’ roll.

Commenting on the credibility of the elections, former FAM general secretary Charles Nyirenda said the whole electoral process was a sham.

“FAM elections have usually been characterised by underhand tactics. And the constitution of FAM is deliberately left silent on who should represent each affiliate at an AGM including the elective gathering.

“No wonder, MEC cannot support such a flawed process which is disguised rigging of an election. The powers that be in FAM always want to hand-pick representatives for affiliates favourable to their cause; hence, complete lack of willingness to be transparent about who specifically will go to cast votes.

“By keeping this under wraps, the establishment makes sure that at the end of the day, results are in their favour. On voting day, all may be free, but the process doesn’t make the free-and-fair grade as expected by MEC and the entire world of how ideal elections are supposed to be conducted,” he said. n