In 2009 there will be no free and fair elections

By Pacharo Felix Munthali
As 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections are coming a lot is happening involving all stakeholders – Malawi Electoral Commission, judiciary, legislators, the cabinet, Media, Civil society , the general public, not forgetting the outside players – all are doing all they could for free and fair elections. The good working relationship exercised by this network with consensus decision is a recipe for a credible electoral process right from the preparatory stage through actual voting to the phase of evaluation.
Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) is the body central to the whole process. Whatever happens to this crucial body for the election results that will be seen as a reflection of realities on the ground, needs to be the product of general consensus of the opposition and the ruling parties.
With the wave of unprecedented political wrangle that ticks as back as the time when Dr Bingu wa Mutharika dumped the United Democratic Front (UDF) painting the party as corrupt amongst the reasons. It is even more challenging as the UDF out of the frustrations for sponsoring the candidate who later ditched it, uses every opportunity to frustrate the ruling party. The hype of the approaching election is higher than the previous elections. This amongst other reasons is in place due to soar relationship that is employing tit-for-tat approach in political maneuver. This coupled with uncensored language that they trade each other, it worries a lot as to how will the environment be during the elections time.
Whilst the opposition is giving the ruling party tough time in parliament, ruling party uses all the mechanisms and institutions at its disposal to mudsling back at the opposition. By the end of the day there is creation of political battlefield where politicians are aiming every spanner that was meant for the country’s development on one another.
However with 2009 elections beckoning around the corner, such sort of behaviour and acts need not to be entertained. The environment needs to be under peace and order in all spheres. If one sees the opposing politicians attempting to trade fists in Parliament, what message are the politicians sending to their supporters? If such politicians tell their followers to co-exist peacefully, will the message make sense?
Unfortunately as the dust is swirling, with more violence occurring in some areas like Mangochi, Mulanje, Machinga and others, at a time when elections are some months away, it is very likely that when campaign starts coupled with hate speeches from the politicians, the environment will rear an ugly face.
Over the years we have seen spates of violence involving the political groupings. The nation has seen elections ending in violence, especially 2004. Since the coming of democracy the level of hate speeches cross firing from opposing camps have kept on escalating. Exaggeration on issues of national concern is a grievous sin, however, when one looks at the current scenarios, it becomes clear that there are indicators that shows that the coming elections will have faint fairness and levels of freedom due to some factors that instantly will result in violence in some areas.
In the very first place, the opposition parties in the country contested the composition of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioners saying that they were not consulted in the actual appointment process. To this end, they fear that the commissioners might be biased towards the government.
Fortunately though unfortunate we will have to weigh MEC on scale when the campaign period starts. So far the preparation seems to be going on smoothly. If Mec managed to write a letter to Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) expressing its concern about the fairness of the programmes only to be responded by a mockingly response from Makiyolobasi – mocking the Mec officials – then one wonders if Mec will really manage to put the state controlled and other private media under control. Of course it is an open secret that state media has always tilted towards the ruling party. But there is different approach this time around – unlike before when the president could have the whole lot of time to make all sorts of political jazz on air today it’s the president having a dinner on the state media as well as the media itself becoming so creative that the professionals make programmes that castigate the opposition politicians.
Of course, the idea by Mec in conjunction with all other media outlets to frame a media code of conduct came at the right time. This is a document that among other things outlines how the media needs to conduct itself during the whole electoral period. However for this to be adhered to, there is need for a strong and impartial controlling mechanism. Mec will rely on Malawi Communication Regulatory authority.
Unfortunately, over the years MACRA has demonstrated that it is a highly biased organization that selectively controls the conduct of the media. It has showed that the ruling enjoys almost whole control of the public broadcasting houses. Although, some of the programmes are brilliant ideas from brilliant minds, their lack compliance with ethics of journalism. There is no fairness and balance. If it’s Joy Radio, it is all about tarnishing the image of the president and his DPP, and when the state radio it is all about stripping the personal and political reputation of the opposition members.
Media is such a powerful arm. The political violence that happened in Kenya is as a result of the media. In Rwanda memories are still fresh of the cockroaches’ stories where media played a destructive role. The violence can not occur the way they happened there as theirs were rooted in historical hatred. If Makiyolobasi can ridicule the commissioners, control over media is likely to be Mec’s difficult job. This will likely mean making the state media ‘blue.’
The fairness of general elections is “not only about the voting day, it is also about the period leading to the general elections.” The control over media is by the state is one such way the government is using to consolidate itself.
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MCRA) is on record to have barred private radio stations from airing live broadcasts of political rallies without government permission. The directive effectively targeted leading private broadcasters Capital Radio, Joy Radio, and Zodiak Broadcasting over coverage of former President Bakili Muluzi, considered the most likely opposition challenger in the 2009 presidential elections. If such scenarios occur, you only wonder how fair and free is information that is unbiased flows.
As the new saying goes, especially in Malawi, “everything in Malawi starts as rumours.” A month doesn’t pass without either reading or hearing of Muluzi likely going to be arrested. Such rumours are likely going to trigger violence. We are talking of a person who is the possible hope for the party to go back in government.
With 2009 elections around the corner we don’t need to always be pessimistic. However with the way the local political scene is, it suffice to conclude that 2009 due to lots of occurrences before elections, the elections even though they can be free and fair, some quarters will likely grumble. This is like that due unprecedented build up towards elections. This is especially when the ruling party wins again. – The author is a Media for Development student at Chancellor College