A key electoral stakeholder the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has urged electoral players in the country to consider utilising alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in electoral cases before rushing to the courts.
UNDP Resident Coordinator Fenella Frost made the remarks during the induction ceremony of the country’s first ever Judiciary Committee on elections which will be handling all elections related cases.
Speaking during the induction ceremony, Frost urged electoral players to consider exhausting all possible remedies before heading to the civil court.
“Not all electoral related matters must end up in court. Some of the matters can be resolved at a constituency level without bothering the courts,” said Frost.
She has since hailed the country’s Judiciary for setting up the first ever Judiciary Committee on elections which she says will enhance handling of all electoral related cases.
“This is the way to go. We have strong belief and trust in the Malawi Judiciary system that it will fully utilise the existence of this important Committee. Kenya utilised the existence of a similar committee and we all saw how smoothly their presidential elections case was handled and we expect the same from Malawi,” said Frost.
In his remarks, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda echoed Frost’s sentiments that not all electoral matters must be brought before the court.
“We have for instance the Multiparty Liaison Committees which are there to settle some of these matters so let political parties and candidates utilise existence of these committees,” said Nyirenda.
According to Nyirenda events of the aftermath of the nullified 2019 Presidential elections taught the judiciary some lessons hence setting up the committee.
Meanwhile Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Dr Chifundo Kachale has expressed delight at the formation of the committee saying it will help to fastrack handling of electoral related cases.
The new committee which is being headed by Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Dorothy Nyakaunda Kamanga has since gone down to business as it has embarked on a review exercise of all 2019 elections related cases.
