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| National |
| Cilic wants part in Pac feud with Electoral Commission |
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by
Mabvuto Banda , 26 January 2004
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17:54:54
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Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) has asked the Malawi Electoral Commission to invite them to a hearing of the Public Affairs Committee and its affiliates, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and Blantyre Synod’s Church and Society where the Church NGOs are expected to answer allegations that they are partisan.
Emmie Chanika executive director for Cilic said on Monday that they want to ensure fairness in resolving the Pac and UDF conflict.
“As one of the accredited NGOs and as you are aware that Cilic is one of the NGOs which specialises in human rights and most specially election related rights, i.e electoral fairness, we are interested to see fairness and that this conflict in amicably resolved,” Chanika said on Monday.
Last week, MEC wrote Pac asking them to bring lawyers to a hearing on January 31, 2004 to answer accusations that they are partisan. The commission went on to say that it was contemplating removing accreditation to Pac and its affiliates because of that.
Chief elections officer George Chimwaza on Monday dismissed Cilic’s demands saying that they are not involved and therefore not part of the case against Pac.
“Why should we invite Cilic. We indicated that Pac and its affiliates are supposed to come for the hearing and not Cilic, so if they come they will come on their own and not by our invitation and we will decide either to keep them outside or inside,” he said.
Pac Chairperson Mosignor Boniface Tamani said on Monday that the board is yet to meet and discuss the issue.
“But my personal view is that I don’t see anything wrong with Cilic coming to the hearing. When things are going wrong, you need a strong civil society to help such issues,” he said.
President Bakili Muluzi a fortnight ago asked the Commission to take stock of Church NGOs he accused of being partisan and at the same time being entrusted with conducting civic education.
MEC reacted days later and summoned Pac and its affiliates to the meeting.
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