This Week: President Joyce Banda should concede defeat
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Kelvin ESIASA
By Kelvin Esiasa
Many Zambians have received the news that the Malawian President Joyce Banda has nullified the elections result and counting of election votes with shock and disbelief.
Zambians have also described this move as an assault on democracy and retrogressive to Africa’s democracy and Women leadership.
According to Aljazeera Television, Malawian President Joyce Banda declared the election to null and void a decision that triggered protests from her rival and was challenged by the national electoral authority.
Aljazeera also reported that President Banda claimed that there were “serious irregularities” with the poll including multiple voting, ballot-tampering and a malfunctioning computerized vote-counting system.
The Electoral Commission Chairman Maxon Mbendera told Reuter’s news agency that as far as he knew, the president did not have any constitutional powers to nullify the election and only the electoral commission had the powers to do so.
Leading Presidential contender Prof. Peter Mutharika leader of the opposition DPP said that nothing in the constitution gave the president powers to cancel an election. He added that he had never heard anywhere in the world where an opposition can rig an election.
Prior to the May 20 election a number of opinion polls suggested that President Banda would lose election. Malawian Voice an online tabloid reported that every election survey that was conducted in Malawi showed that President Banda would lose the election.
The tabloid also reported that their country clergy had announced that President Band would lose election and the Party which was in power would bounce back.
While the Southerneye of Nigeria reported that President Banda Clergy TB Joshua of SCOAN Church had dispelled reports that he had told President Banda that she would rule Malawi for two years and there after a new government would take office.
President Banda has many lessons to learn from. The nullification of election by President Banda rekindles the memories of Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo.
After the Electoral Commission the Ivorian Election Commission (CEI) declared Alassane Ouattara the winner with 54.1% of the vote. Gbagbo’s party complained of fraud and ordered that votes from nine regions be annulled, but the claims were disputed by the Ivorian Electoral Commission and international election observers.
The Constitutional Council, in accordance with its legal powers in article 94 of the Ivorian Constitution nullified the CEI’s declaration based on alleged voting fraud, and excluded votes from nine northern areas.
This standoff between the incumbent and the opposition sparked into a civil conflict. Gbagbo responded by launching ethnic attacks on northerners living in Abidjan with his army made up partly of Liberian mercenaries.
Beginning in late February 2011, fighting intensified between the military forces that supported Gbagbo and the rebel forces that supported Ouattara.
In response to the provocation, forces stormed Gbagbo’s residence on April 11, and Gbagbo was arrested. In August 2011 he was charged with embezzlement, looting, and armed robbery.
The nullification of election in Malawi also rekindles memories of Libyan strongman late Muammar Gaddaffi arrogance. A violent government crackdown had broken out in Libya during Muammar Gaddafi tried to hold onto power.
Almost as soon as the protests began, Gaddafi deployed the Libyan Army to beat back the protesters and killed the protestors. Gaddaffi refused to accept peoples’ demand and opted to challenge the Libyans but the peoples’ will prevailed and Gaddaffi died as a disgraced leader because he failed to answer and reading people’s mood.
President Banda nullification of election is a provocation on the Malawian people. It will not be a surprise if the Malawian marches to the street in protest of the decision. It will not be surprise if the opposition in Malawian rejects the decision made by the President opts to go ahead to declare themselves as the elected and legitimate government.
So President Banda should surrender power and concede defeat. By accepting defeat President Banda would be respected by her people and the international community.
Just as she was celebrated as first woman to be President from Southern Africa, she would also be celebrated as the first woman to accept defeat in an election.
President Banda should remember that history has shown that no African leaders has hold on to power and had stopped peoples’ will. In many cases peoples’ will had prevailed. So what she is doing now is total political gamble.
This Week: President Joyce Banda should concede defeat
Kelvin ESIASA
By Kelvin Esiasa
Many Zambians have received the news that the Malawian President Joyce Banda has nullified the elections result and counting of election votes with shock and disbelief.
Zambians have also described this move as an assault on democracy and retrogressive to Africa’s democracy and Women leadership.
According to Aljazeera Television, Malawian President Joyce Banda declared the election to null and void a decision that triggered protests from her rival and was challenged by the national electoral authority.
Aljazeera also reported that President Banda claimed that there were “serious irregularities” with the poll including multiple voting, ballot-tampering and a malfunctioning computerized vote-counting system.
The Electoral Commission Chairman Maxon Mbendera told Reuter’s news agency that as far as he knew, the president did not have any constitutional powers to nullify the election and only the electoral commission had the powers to do so.
Leading Presidential contender Prof. Peter Mutharika leader of the opposition DPP said that nothing in the constitution gave the president powers to cancel an election. He added that he had never heard anywhere in the world where an opposition can rig an election.
Prior to the May 20 election a number of opinion polls suggested that President Banda would lose election. Malawian Voice an online tabloid reported that every election survey that was conducted in Malawi showed that President Banda would lose the election.
The tabloid also reported that their country clergy had announced that President Band would lose election and the Party which was in power would bounce back.
While the Southerneye of Nigeria reported that President Banda Clergy TB Joshua of SCOAN Church had dispelled reports that he had told President Banda that she would rule Malawi for two years and there after a new government would take office.
President Banda has many lessons to learn from. The nullification of election by President Banda rekindles the memories of Former Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo.
After the Electoral Commission the Ivorian Election Commission (CEI) declared Alassane Ouattara the winner with 54.1% of the vote. Gbagbo’s party complained of fraud and ordered that votes from nine regions be annulled, but the claims were disputed by the Ivorian Electoral Commission and international election observers.
The Constitutional Council, in accordance with its legal powers in article 94 of the Ivorian Constitution nullified the CEI’s declaration based on alleged voting fraud, and excluded votes from nine northern areas.
This standoff between the incumbent and the opposition sparked into a civil conflict. Gbagbo responded by launching ethnic attacks on northerners living in Abidjan with his army made up partly of Liberian mercenaries.
Beginning in late February 2011, fighting intensified between the military forces that supported Gbagbo and the rebel forces that supported Ouattara.
In response to the provocation, forces stormed Gbagbo’s residence on April 11, and Gbagbo was arrested. In August 2011 he was charged with embezzlement, looting, and armed robbery.
The nullification of election in Malawi also rekindles memories of Libyan strongman late Muammar Gaddaffi arrogance. A violent government crackdown had broken out in Libya during Muammar Gaddafi tried to hold onto power.
Almost as soon as the protests began, Gaddafi deployed the Libyan Army to beat back the protesters and killed the protestors. Gaddaffi refused to accept peoples’ demand and opted to challenge the Libyans but the peoples’ will prevailed and Gaddaffi died as a disgraced leader because he failed to answer and reading people’s mood.
President Banda nullification of election is a provocation on the Malawian people. It will not be a surprise if the Malawian marches to the street in protest of the decision. It will not be surprise if the opposition in Malawian rejects the decision made by the President opts to go ahead to declare themselves as the elected and legitimate government.
So President Banda should surrender power and concede defeat. By accepting defeat President Banda would be respected by her people and the international community.
Just as she was celebrated as first woman to be President from Southern Africa, she would also be celebrated as the first woman to accept defeat in an election.
President Banda should remember that history has shown that no African leaders has hold on to power and had stopped peoples’ will. In many cases peoples’ will had prevailed. So what she is doing now is total political gamble.
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