The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is scheduled to meet the president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Lazarus Chakwera Vice-President Saulos Chilima of UTM party on Friday as part of its program of meeting political party leaders ahead of the May 21, 2019, Tripartite Elections.
Chakwera and Justice Ansah set for meeting
The meetings have been organised to lobby the party leaders support and inculcate a culture of peaceful co-existence among their supporters by discouraging hate speeches during rallies.
As earlier reported by Nyasa Times, he process started with meeting President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at State House in Lilongwe and former President and leader of the People’s Party (PP), Joyce Banda at her Area 43 residence.
Led by it chairperson Jane Ansah, with chief elections officer Sam Alfandika, the electoral body has also scheduled a meeting president of United Democratic Front (UDF) Atupele Muluzi which will the first meeting before Chakwera.
MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa said during the meetings the Commission is giving the Presidents an update on the just-ended voter registration exercise and also a briefing on the upcoming voter verification exercise and nomination of candidates.
“The Commission is also briefing the Presidents on the measures put in place to preserve the integrity of the electoral process and the importance of party leaders to help in ensuring that elections are held in a peaceful environment,” he said.
Mwafulirwa said: “Political partes are key to the peaceful conduct of elections. To achieve this, we need to instil this in the presidents of the political parties to ensure that their followers observe peace, avoid hate speeches and that they should co-exist with supporters of other political parties.”
Accoridng to Mwafulirwa, MEC plans to meet “several other political party leaders.”
Other party leaders scheduled for meeting with MEC include Cassim Chilumpha president of Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD), Chris Daza, Democratic People’s Congress (DEPECO), Sally Kumwenda of Leadership With Compassion (LCP) and Loudon Malengamoyo-Phiri, National Salvation Front (NASAF).
MEC will also meet Peter Kuwani, Mbakuwawaku Movement for Development (MMD), John Chisi (Umodzi Party), Patrick Chinkhota, (New Labour Party), Mark Katsonga-Phiri, Peoples Progressive Movement (PPM)., Newton Kambala, United Transformation Party (UTP), Kamuzu Chibambo, Peoples Transformation Movement (Petra), George Nnesa (Mafunde)
Also scheduled for MEC meeting are Enoch Chihana, Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), Khumbo Kachali, Freedom Party (FP), Dr Bina Shaba, Peoples Development Movement (PDM) and Yeremiah Chihana, New Rainbow Coalition (NARC).
