|
Attorney General Peter Fachi has assured that Parliament would amend the constitution and other relevant acts this October to provide for the holding of tripartite elections next year.
According to laws of Malawi, the proposed tripartite elections — presidential, parliament and local government — would be illegal without the amendments because the constitution provides for the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections every five years, while local government elections are supposed to be held every three years.
Malawi Electoral Commission chief elections officer George Chimwaza said at a public debate in Lilongwe that it was the commission’s hope that Parliament would amend the constitution during the next sitting, scheduled for October, for the commission to proceed with preparations for the tripartite elections.
“We anticipate that we’ll have the amendments in October,” he said at the debate Lilongwe Press Club organised at Lilongwe Hotel Thursday night.
Fachi said Monday that he had instructed officials in his office to prepare an enabling bill to be tabled in parliamentary in October.
“I have instructed the chief parliamentary draughtsman in my chambers to proceed with the necessary action. We intend to present this bill in October, definitely,” Fachi said, adding that the cabinet committee on legal affairs and full cabinet would discuss the draft bill before it is tabled in Parliament.
Chief parliamentary draughtsman Anthony Kamanga refused to comment on the matter.
During the Lilongwe Press Club public debate Chimwaza allayed people’s fears that some parts of the country might be starved of voting materials, as was the case in 1999. He said that political parties created the problem of inadequate materials in 1999 by encouraging the under-aged to register as voters.
At least 5.2 million people registered for the 1999 general elections, a figure Chimwaza said did not reflect the actual situation of bona-fide voters in the country.
Commenting on people’s concerns that the ruling party is currently using the public media to campaign, far in advance of the official campaign period, Chimwaza said that the commission has no legal powers to regulate the public media houses.
He, however, added that there was nothing wrong in political parties holding meetings in preparation for the May, 2004 general elections.
“In pre-election period any party can go out to conduct meetings,” said Chimwaza, adding that it was important for parties to have resources and organise their members so that they are able to compete with their rivals.
Controller of news and current affairs at Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Eunice Chipangula told the participants that the country’s president has the privilege of live broadcasts whenever he holds a function.
She also assured the gathering that MBC would ensure that all political parties are provided equal coverage during the official campaign period, two months before the voting day.
Some people in the debate queried that the ruling party is currently using MBC and Television Malawi to castigate its opponents, in an attempt to win the sympathy of voters.
Some speakers said that they were concerned with the character assassination the public media air during presidential functions.
|
