‘Zovota ife ayi’

“Anthu opotsa 3 000 adalembetsa unzika m’dera langa. Lero anthu 1 240 okha ndiwo alembetsa kalembera wa zisankho.”

Izi ndizo zachitika m’dera la mfumu Chilowamatambe ku Kasungu komwe bungwe la Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) limachititsa kalembera wa zisankho moti likapanda kubwererako, anthu ambiri sadzavota nawo m’bomalo pa zisankho zapatatu za chaka cha mawa.

“Anthu akuti sakuona kusiyana pakati pakuvota ndi kusavota chifukwa palibe chomwe chimasintha,” idatero mfumuyo pocheza ndi Tamvani.

Ming’alu yaoneka pamene ndime yoyamba ya kalemberayo yatha m’maboma a Salima, Dedza ndi Kasungu. Kalemberayo adayamba pa June 26 ndipo adatha pa 9 July.

M’boma la Dedza akuti anthu ambiri sadatuluke kukalembetsa. Andrew Steve, amene akupanga bizinesi ya golosale m’bomalo, adati sadalembetse chifukwa boma laonjeza kuba.

“Pamalo pamene ndimapanga bizinesi tilipo anthu opotsa 10, koma awiri okha ndi amene alembetsa. Sindinalembetse, mmalo mopanga bizinesi nditangwanike ndi zimenezo?

“Ndale za masiku ano sizikupereka chitsanzo chabwino moti kuvota kapena kusavota palibe kusiyana. Achulutsa kuba,” adatero Andrew.

Gulupu Maganga ya m’boma la Salima idati kumenekonso anthu sadatuluke poyerekeza ndi mmene amaganizira.

“Tsiku lotseka kalemberayo ndi lomwe kunatuluka anthu ambiri, koma masiku onsewa kumakhala anthu ochepa,” adatero Maganga.

Atafunsidwa chifukwa chimene anthuwo sakukalembetsera, gulupuyi idati anthu “atopa ndi kunamizidwa”.

“Ngakhale adalembetsa ndi anthu ochepa, nawonso akuti amangofuna kuti akhale ndi chiphaso.

“Anthu ena amatsa chiphaso cha unzika mmbuyomu. Popeza chiphasocho ali nacho, sadaone chifukwa cholembetseranso,” adatero Maganga.

Maganga wapempha mabungwe kuti abwere m’dera mwake kudzaphunzitsa anthu zaubwino wovota, komanso kuyipa kosavota.

“Pandekha ndimamema anthu anga kuti akalembetse ndipo ndidapita koyambirira kukalembetsa, komabe akuti sakuona kufunika kwake chifukwa ngakhale avote zinthu sizikusintha,” idatero mfumuyo yomwe yati m’dera mwake amene alembetsa ambiri ndi abambo.

Izi zakhumudwitsa mkulu wa bungwe lomenyera ufumu wa anthu la Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Timothy Mtambo, yemwe wapempha MEC kuti ibwererenso m’mabomawo.

Mtambo adati kupatula boma, MEC ilinso ndi bala lalikulu lomwe lapangitsa kuti anthu asakhale ndi chidwi chokalembetsa chifukwa zomwe anthu amadandaula nazo silimazikonza.

“Pa zisankho zapita zija tidaona chinyengo, koma mpaka lero sitidamve zotsatira za kafukufuku wawo,” adatero Mtambo.

Iye adagwirizana ndi anthu amene akukana kukalembetsa ponena kuti boma likuba kwambiri.

“Anthu atopa. Kuika anthu pampando, koma zotsatira zake zikumakhala zokhumudwitsa chifukwa mmalo mobweretsa chitukuko akuberanso anthu amene adawavotera,” adatero Mtambo.

“Komabe tibwerere kumudzi tikauze anthu ubwino wovota.”

Mkulu wa bungwe la MEC, Jane Ansah, adati anthu sakufuna kulembetsa chifukwa sakukhutira ndi momwe aphungu awo agwirira ntchito mmbuyomu.

Izi zikugwirizana ndi zomwe kafukufuku wa Afrobarometer adapeza pa May 29 2017 kuti anthu atopa ndi umbanda womwe boma likuchita.

Kafukufukuyo adati anthu 9 mwa 10 alionse akuona kuti dziko lino likupita kuchiphompho kumbali ya kukwera mtengo kwa zinthu ndi ziphuphu zomwe zafika pa lekaleka.

Kafukufukuyo adapeza kuti khamu la anthu limakhera dovu chipani cha MCP achikhala chisankho chachitika nthawiyo.

Gawo lachiwiri la kalemberayo layamba dzulo Lachisanu pa 13 ndipo lidzatha pa 26 mwezi uno. Gawoli, likhudza maboma a Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Dowa ndi Mchinji. n