A social grouping under the banner “Citizens for Justice and Equity” has condemned opposition political parties in the country for demanding the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson, Chief Justice Anabel Mtalimanja, deeming the calls for her resignation unlawful.
At a press briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday evening, the group’s Secretary, Agape Khombe, criticized opposition parties for questioning Mtalimanja’s appointment, which he emphasized was made through the appropriate legal processes involving the Judicial Service Commission and the Supreme Court of Appeal judges, before being confirmed by the President.
Khombe expressed concern that opposition groups, along with affiliated organizations, have been spreading misinformation about the electoral registration process.
“We reviewed the reasons behind their protests and noted a significant amount of misinformation, which could potentially discourage citizens from registering to vote,” he stated.
He further stressed that these demands and misinformation could incite voter registration apathy, undermining democratic engagement.
Khombe also denounced recent comments by former President Joyce Banda, who publicly supported the opposition’s stance.
“We need a united front. Even our leaders, like Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda, should remember that it was the same opposition now courting her support that forced her into exile for over five years. Leaders should be uniting the nation, not fueling division,” he said.
The opposition’s demands include the removal of MEC Chairperson Mtalimanja and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Mpesi and the rejection of Smartmatic technology for electronic results transmission in the 2025 election.
Khombe called on opposition groups to respect MEC’s independence as mandated by the constitution and to allow the commission to carry out its duties without interference.
The opposition parties which include the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) the United Transformation Movement (UTM), United Democratic Front (UDF), Peoples Party (PP) and Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) had planned to hold demonstrations on 13th November 2024 to pressure the Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, to step down.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe District Commissioner Lawford Palani has informed the opposition parties that the planned protests scheduled for tomorrow will not proceed, as the police will be engaged with other critical duties.
In a statement, Palani encouraged the opposition to reschedule the demonstrations for a later date. Opposition leaders have yet to respond to Palani’s directive.
