Political parties in Malawi have not shown interest to conduct local government elections (LGE) for fear of exposing weaknesses which could negatively affect their performance in the 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections, website of The Nation newspaper of the country reported on Monday.
The website quoted a source close to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as saying that almost all major political parties except for the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have been reluctant to commit themselves to the local polls which are expected to give indicators for the general elections.
"UDF (United Democratic Front) has been demanding local government elections in Parliament, but during our interactions, they have made it clear that it is too late for the elections just like the government side but MCP is the only party that seems to be genuinely ready for local government elections," he said.
Local Government and Rural Development Minister George Chaponda made it crystal clear last week that the local government elections were not on the ministry's priority list since the government was preoccupied with the national budget.
Chaponda, who is also Director of Research in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said the party had nothing to say on the elections as it was more interested to see that the budget, which has dragged for almost four months now, is passed.
The minister was reluctant to comment when he was quizzed to explain if the Amendment Bill which seeks to amend the Constitution to provide for new dates for local polls was among the bills to be tabled during this sitting of Parliament.
Although the government already prepared the amendment bill early this year which tentatively put November as a month to conduct the elections, the bill has not been tabled for debate in the august House.
UDF spokesperson Sam Mpasu in an interview said it was getting too late for the country to embark on local polls when it was clear that constitutionally, it was less than two years for the term of the councilors to expire.
Mpasu said the party and even the donor community have been pushing for LGE but government has been putting forward different excuses for not calling for the polls.
"We have been condemning the interference with local government elections because we understand that this is a constitutional matter and a very essential ingredient of our democracy but government has always found excuses for not holding the elections, " he said.
"It's getting too late not to have local government elections and make any meaning. If we hold the elections now, it means the councilors will be in office for less than two years. We have not given up per se but it's like for how long and by how much can you keep on pushing," he said.
The UDF publicist said the party will have no option but to accept any proposal for a tripartite election in 2009. He however, observed that MEC would have tremendous work to civic educate the electorate as voting thrice might confuse people.
MCP spokesperson Respicious Dzanjalimodzi said the party has talked about the need for government to table the bill but the government side has not shown interest which has rendered the largest party in Parliament helpless on the issue of the elections.
"We cannot do anything as long as they don't bring the bill. Bills are brought in Parliament by government," he said.
Asked if the party has given up in pressing the government to call for the polls, Dzanjalimodzi said, "What more can we do? If they are not willing to bring the bill, there is nothing we can do because we don't have any mandate to bring such bills in Parliament."
MEC has always said they are ready to conduct the polls as mandated by the law provided a piece of legislation to regulate the new dates for the much awaited elections and the appointment of commissioners. Currently, the issue of commissioners is being challenged by the opposition in court.
However, in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which the government refused to sign at the climax of the budget impasse, the opposition parties were willing to withdraw the case on condition that the President include their nominees in the commission.
At one point, Minister of Local Government said the absence of councilors, who are policy makers at in local assemblies, was not being felt. The government empowered chief executive officers for city and town assemblies and District Commissioners to be in charge of finances in local assemblies.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article