DPP wants fresh election
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has urged the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to resolve some of its electoral complaints before declaring the winner of the 2020 fresh presidential election.
DPP, through its administrative secretary Francis Mphepo, filed a complaint with the commission, requesting it to resolve its complaint on alleged intimidation, coercion and violence towards its monitors in the central region and Mzimba by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) functionaries.
Mutharika
In the complaint, the DPP alleges that MCP functionaries and Gule Wamkulu barred their monitors from carrying out their statutory functions at various polling stations in Lilongwe, Dowa, Salima, Dedza, Ntcheu, Nkhotakota, Mchinji and Kasungu and Mzimba; hence, undermines the credibility of the election.
Reads part of the complaint: “The factor of intimidation or absence of monitors or absence of conditions of freedom and fairness in the monitoring process undermines both the quality and quantity of the electoral process.
“Clearly, there was a systematic and deliberate ploy by MCP functionaries to prevent DPP monitors from carrying out their statutory functions through various acts of intimidation, coercion, manipulation, violence, brutality and barbarity.”
Earlier this week, MEC chairperson acknowledged that the commission received a complaint on electoral violence from the DPP and referred the case to the Malawi Police Service after noting that there were some elements of criminal conduct in the alleged cases.
The DPP, which is trailing in the ongoing election, said it would “be unsafe, unconstitutional” to declare a winner before reviewing and responding in writing to its complaints.
The governing party has since urged the commission to declare that the presidential election has been inconclusive, there is no winner or loser in the election and that there will be a fresh presidential election.
Incidentally, MEC director of communications and public relations said at a press briefing at the National Tally Centre at College of Medicine in Blantyre that the commission would review the complaint and submit its response to the DPP.
