Malawi Law Society (MLS) has condemned some political parties and candidates for usurping the mandate of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to declare themselves victors in the September 16 General Election.
The condemnation comes after Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) held separate press conferences yesterday in Lilongwe declaring that they were poised for victory in the polls.
In a statement signed by its president Davis Njobvu and honorary secretary Francis M’mame, MLS reminded the parties that under Section 98 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, MEC is lawfully accorded a period of up to eight days, 14 days and 21 days, respectively to publish national results for the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
Reads the statement in part: “The Society, therefore, appeals to all political parties and candidates to desist from making statements that amount to declarations of victory based on unofficial results.
“We echo the commission’s appeal that: (a) Political leaders must refrain from stirring public pressure against the Commission to release results without due consideration of the legally prescribed process.”
MLS has also called on political leaders to desist from making inflammatory statements that could create an unfavourable public orientation towards the commission or incite public fear and discomfort.
“Without infringing upon the fundamental freedoms of expression and the media, all leaders and media houses are strongly advised to refrain from providing a platform for utterances that could disturb public order, amount to insolence against the Commission, or be interpreted as implying a definitive victory,” reads the statement.
Speaking at MCP Headquarters in Lilongwe yesterday, MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila said while MEC is the only body mandated to release official results, the party was confident of emerging victorious.
She said MCP had its parallel tabulation centre, whose results the party cannot pronounce as that is against the laws guiding the elections.
However, Kabwila was non-committal on the source of the data behind the party’s bold predictions.
During a separate media briefing in the afternoon, DPP vice-president responsible for the Centre Alfred Gangata claimed that unofficial results were in favour of the party.
He said: “We have dismantled their stronghold. We are getting significant votes in the Central Region so there is no way they can claim they are winning the election.
“Unofficial results also show that Cabinet ministers have failed to win parliamentary seats. So, how do they give confidence to the President that he has already won?”
In an interview yesterday, Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe condemned the conduct, saying rushing to indicate that a particular party was winning has the potential to cause violence.
“If party X claims to be winning by 70 percent, but the MEC results show that the party is actually trailing, that has the potential to cause violence and must be avoided,” he said.
Youth and Society executive director Charles Kajoloweka described those declaring themselves winners before MEC’s declaration as irresponsible.
On his part, Nyika Institute director Moses Mkandawire urged political parties to act responsibly and exercise patience, saying elections are a sensitive activity.
He said: “They create some kind of expectation and if that expectation is not met at the end of the day, when MEC declares that the winner is a different person, some supporters do not accept or agree and in most cases they resort to violence.”
Malawians are still waiting for MEC to declare results of the general election held on Tuesday.
—Additional reporting by Andrew Viano
