MEC yakhazikika pa cha unzika pa kalembera
Bungwe loyendetsa zisankho la Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) latemetsa nkhwangwa pa mwala kuti ligwiritsabe ntchito chiphaso cha unzika ngati chizindikiro choti munthu atha kulowa m’kaundula wa chisankho cha 2025.
Izi zikudza pomwe zipani zina komanso Amalawi omwe akudzitcha ‘nzika zokhudzidwa’ akuti njirayi si yabwino chifukwa mwa zina idzachititsa kuti anthu ena asadzathe kuponya voti ngakhale ali oyenera kutero.
Woyendetsa zisankho ku bungwe la MEC a Andrew Mpesi ati kalembera wa kaundula wa chisankho cha 2025 akuyamba pa 21 October 2024 ndipo bungwelo ligwiritsa ntchito malamulo a dziko lino omwe akuti cha unzika basi popanga kalemberayo.
“Tikutsatira malamulo a dziko kupangira pa mawa kuti nkhani ikadzapita ku khoti, isadzatikhalire kuti sitidatsate malamulo ayi. Tikati titsatire khumbo la anthu n’kuphwanya malamulo, kenako patsogolo zinthu n’kusokonekera mpakana ku khoti ifeyo tikayankha chiyani?” atero a Mpesi.
Gawo 4 (12) la malamulo oyendetsera chisankho cha pulezidenti, aphungu ndi makhansala limanena kuti munthu yemwe akuyenera kulowa m’kaundula wa chisankho, akuyenera kuonetsa chiphaso cha unzika kwa ochita kalemberayo ngati umboni.
Mmbuyomo demokalase itayamba kumene, bungwe la MEC limagwiritsa ntchito zizindikiro zingapo monga chitupa choyendetsera galimoto, chitupa chotulukira ndi kulowera m’dziko komanso kalata yochokera kwa a mfumu mpakana pa chisankho cha 2014.
Ndondomekoyi idasintha ndipo pa kalembera wa chisankho cha 2019 yemwe adachitika kuchoka pa 26 June mpaka pa 9 November 2018, bungwe la MEC lidagwiritsa ntchito chiphaso cha unzika ngati umboni. Kaundula yemweyo adagwiranso ntchito pachisankho chobwereza cha 2020.
Pa 13 December 2022, Nyumba ya Malamulo idasintha malamulo oyendetsera zisankho kuti chiphaso cha unzika chikhazikitsidwe ngati chizindikiro pa kalembera wachisankho ndipo a mtsogoleri wa dziko lino a Lazarus Chakwera adasainira lamulolo.
Mwezi wa April 2024, bungwe la maloya la Malawi Law Society (MLS) lidatulutsa kalata yofotokoza kukhudzidwa kwake n’kusinthidwa kwa malamulo oyendetsera zisankho kuti chiphaso cha unzika chokha ndicho chizigwira ntchito ya umboni.
M’kalatayo yomwe adasainira ndi pulezidenti wabungwero a Patrick Mpaka komanso mlembi a Gabriel Chembezi, bungwelo lidati kusinthako kumasokonezana ndi gawo 77 la malamulo a dziko lino lomwe limapereka ufulu woponya voti kwa aliyense yemwe adafika msinkhu wovota.
“Ngakhale kuti cholinga cha kusinthako n’kufuna kuti chisankho chizilemerera, mpofunika kuunikira bwino chifukwa mbali ina, kukusemphana ndi malamulo a dziko lino omwe amapereka mpata wovota kwa aliyense komanso tikuyenera kulingalira kuti ku bungwe lakalembera wa unzika la NRB kukhozanso kukhala mavuto omwe angasokoneze zinthu,” idatero kalatayo.
Ndipo polankhula ndi Tamvani Lachitatu, a Mpaka adati komabe MEC siyikulakwitsa potemetsa nkhwangwa pa mwala chifukwa iyo ikungochita zomwe malamulo akunena poti chofunikira n’kusinthanso malamulowo.
“Ichi n’chifukwa chake nthawi ija tidatulutsa kalata yathu ija tidaunikira kuti onse okhudzidwa ndi khani yogwiritsa ntchito chiphaso cha unzika amayenera kupanga machawi kuti kusintha kuchitike nthawi ikadalipo.
“Koma pomwe zafikapa n’kumati bwanji? Mpovuta kusintha malamulo kutangotsala sabata imodzi, mwina n’chifukwa chake a MEC angoti tikupiktiriza ndi chiphaso cha unzika,” adatero a Mpaka.
Mwezi wa August 2024, chipani cha DPP chidalengeza kuti chipita ku khoti kukamang’ala kuti lamulo lozindikira cha unzika ngati chizindikiro chokhacho lisinthidwenso koma sizidaoneke kothera kwake.
“Lamulo limeneli ndi loipa ndipo lidadutsa ku Nyumba ya Malamulo chifukwa a boma adagwiritsa ntchito kuchuluka kwawo, maloya athu akukonza zikalata zopita nazo ku khothi kuti tisinthenso lamulo limeneli,” adatero a Shadreck Namalomba mneneri wa chipani cha DPP.
Malingana ndi bungwe la NRB lomwe limapereka ziphaso za unzika, anthu 10 957 490 ndiwo akuyembekezeka kudzaponya nawo voti chaka cha mawa. Mwa anthuwa, 4 827 703 ndi a m’chigawo chapakati, 4 706 285 a m’chigawo cha kummwera ndipo 1 423 502 a chigawo cha kumpoto.
M’gawo loyamba la kalembera muli maboma a Chitipa, Karonga, Mzuzu, Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Salima, Dedza, Balaka, Machinga, Chiradzulu, Neno, Phalombe and Mulanje ndipo kalemberayo akuyembekezeka kuyamba pa 21 October mpaka pa 3 November 2024.