Maravi

Malawi opposition leader fears poll rigging by ‘some Zambians’

Malawi opposition leader fears poll rigging by ‘some Zambians’
Written by Chibaula Silwamba in Lusaka and Christopher Miti in Chipata
Monday, May 11, 2009 11:44:12 PM

MALAWI's main opposition presidential candidate John Tembo has expressed disappointment at the secrecy that surrounded the printing and transportation of ballot papers ahead of next Tuesday's elections.

And Tembo, who is a presidential candidate for a coalition of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) in the May 19 elections, revealed that ‘some Zambians’ are in Malawi to help President Bingu wa Mutharika's DPP party to rig the elections.

In a telephone interview from Malawi on his way to one of his campaign rallies on Sunday, Tembo said it was strange that ballot papers were printed and transported to Malawi from the United Kingdom without political parties' representatives witnessing the process.

"Members of the opposition parties agreed with the Malawi Electoral Commission [MEC] that they would attend the process of printing, transportation and storage of ballot papers. But suddenly they were told that the ballot papers were already in the country. And these [ballot papers] were transported into Malawi but thanks to the electoral commission they invited members of the opposition parties or at least the candidates or their representatives to attend the arrival and storage," said 77-year-old Tembo, who is leading the MCP which was headed by the late first president of Malawi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. "This has been done but we don't know what is there, what goes on from there, what these people who have come to help rig are doing."

The ballot papers arrived in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, last Wednesday.

And Tembo said he was worried about ‘some Zambians’ who had been hired to rig elections in favour of the DPP.

"I am happy with my campaign as a member of the opposition; the coalition of the Malawi Congress Party and UDF, we are doing well. We are only worried that the governing party [the DPP], which as you know has not got elected members of parliament except five is using government resources to campaign against the long tradition of democratic governance in a country. Yes, we have reported the matter to MEC," Tembo said. "We are also worried by some Zambians who have come allegedly to help the government to rig the elections. They were in Lilongwe, now they went to Blantyre. They are in Ilovo Building."

Asked to name the Zambians whom he alleged were in Malawi to help the DPP rig the elections, Tembo responded: "Ask the government officially who are the Zambians who have just come into Malawi? Ask them. Ask the government."

He also said the DPP government had failed to convene parliamentary sessions so that people's representatives could debate national developmental programmes.

"I am going to correct all the mess that has been created by this government which avoids Parliament because it is only in Parliament when you can take them to task. Have you ever seen a government, let alone an African government, which only convenes one meeting of Parliament a year? That is very strange. Isn't it? Because the government is afraid to be asked questions on the usage of resources," responded Tembo when asked what his priority would be if elected President of Malawi in the May 19 elections.

On President Wa Mutharika's accusation against the international donors that they were interfering with the operations of the MEC, Tembo challenged the head of state to produce evidence and mention the international donors he was complaining against.

"I have no evidence to suggest that donors are interfering with elections. One has to give me what the President is complaining about. He has not mentioned," Tembo said. "The last time I heard him speak like this was when the opposition was asking for an independent parallel tally centre but when two former presidents, one from Ghana [John Kufour] and the other from Mozambique [Joaquim Chisano] came and met with the President [Wa Mutharika], myself and Dr Bakili Muluzi, we all agreed that we should have an independent monitoring centre not tallying centre as such because there was misunderstanding that a tally centre was demanded in order to co-manage the elections."

He said no such demand was made to have a tally centre to co-manage the elections.

"We just wanted to monitor the elections. Why did the President appoint [MEC] commissioners without consulting the opposition parties [and] leaders of opposition parties in Parliament? Why did you do that? Therefore, to give confidence to the electorate, we want to have a monitoring centre so that the results of the poll from each polling centre are monitored," said Tembo.

Malawi's Nyasa Times quoted President Wa Mutharika as having said: "Donors are running the Malawi Electoral Commission. They have deployed a large army of expatriates at the commission. Actually they are interfering in the internal affairs of Malawi. It's not right. This is outside the terms of diplomatic principles."

President Wa Mutharika is reported to have made the remarks at a presidential prayer breakfast organised by the Pentecostal Revival Ministries International in Blantyre.

Tembo, a seasoned politician who recently formed an eleventh-hour electoral coalition with former Malawian president Muluzi’s UDF party, will be the main challenger for President Wa Mutharika who is seeking a second term of office.

And the MEC would tomorrow begin moving ballot papers across the country five days before the elections which are slated for May 19.

MEC chairperson justice Anastazia Msosa said MEC would use the Malawi defence forces in transporting electoral materials to rural areas.

According to Malawi's Capital FM staffer George Mhango, justice Msosa has assured the nation that she would ensure that all polling centres have voting materials in advance to avoid conflicts with political players.

Former Malawian president Bakili Muluzi and his United Democratic Front UDF Party is backing Tembo.

Labels: ELECTIONS, JOHN TEMBO, MALAWI, VERNON MWAANGA

posted by MrK @ 10:46 PM