Election chief summoned to explain flawed poll

A parliamentary committee has reportedly summoned the chairman of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to explain why the May general election was condemned as flawed by local and international poll observers. MEC chairman Justice James Kalaile is expected to appear before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Appointments and Assets Declaration next month, following a public outcry over his management of the 20 May presidential poll, won by a clear margin by the ruling party candidate, Bingu wa Mutharika. Kalaile confirmed on Thursday that he had been summoned by the committee, but told IRIN he had "no idea" why he had been called. In its report on the ballot, the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa said the MEC "seemed to lack the institutional capacity to organise and manage some crucial aspects of the electoral process, such as the compilation of the voters' roll". The Commonwealth election observer group noted: "The conclusion we have reached is that the voters were free to express their wishes on election day itself, but because of the problems with the register, the bias of the state media and the abuse of incumbency, the process prior to election day was unfair. Some of the requirements of the democratic process have been met, but others have not." A political analyst at the University of Malawi, Edge Kanyongolo, said he welcomed the move by the parliamentary committee, and supported demands made by some pro-democracy NGOs that Kalaile and his commissioners should be sacked. But he cautioned against rushing into a decision, as "this will not help the democratisation process".