National Sports

Eastern Region football polls’ candidate faults electoral process

A candidate who lost  during the Eastern Region Football Association (ERFA) elections in Mangochi on Sunday has punched holes in the electoral process, describing it as fraud.

Harold Kachepatsonga, who was vying for the position of general secretary (GS), lost to Francis Onions Phiri by 14 votes to one,  believes he could have excelled had the electoral process “been free and fair”.

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He queried: “The electoral process had its own challenges. How come the ERFA interim committee was given the mandate to manage the electoral process? Is this within the rules of the game? Affiliates were denied the opportunity to nominate people of their choice. What is the role of the football governing body [Football Association of  Malawi] in this matter?

“How can a candidate, who received two nominations from Mangochi and Balaka…end up with only one vote during the elections? Something is clearly wrong in our football.”

Kachepatsonga also accused the newly-elected ERFA chairperson Abdul Chiwalo of interference in the electoral process.

“After receiving a nomination from Balaka District [Football Committee], I was contacted by the interim chairperson urging me to withdraw from the GS race and instead contest for an executive member seat. I refused and sent them a letter, which I can produce as evidence.”

Kachepatsonga, who was Balaka District Youth Football Association chairperson, also took a swipe a FAM leadership, accusing it of endorsing an illegally elected committee.

“How can a president endorse a committee that has been elected illegally? A day before the elections, all delegates were locked in one place and had no access to aspirants. And you, as the president, call this free and fair elections?”

On his part, Chiwalo said he could not comment much on the matter, saying Kachepatsonga needed to use proper channels of lodging his complaints.

FAM president Fleetwood Haiya yesterday said: “We haven’t received any complaints, accusations or petitions concerning ERFA elections.”

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