African Elections Project (Accra)
Arnold Munthali
18 May 2009
The frantic dash to get to the finishing line was in earnest in the week, the last week before voting on Tuesday, May 19.
But President Bingu wa Mutharika, who is running on a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket and former president Bakili Muluzi, leader of the United Democratic Front (UDF) had a rude awakening when their convoys were stoned on two separate days and about 500 kilometres apart.
Last Saturday, May 9, Mutharika's convoy was stoned at Nathenje in Lilongwe. Police officials, however, denied it was the convoy that was stoned, saying it was a vehicle carrying Malawi Television crew which was covering the president which felt the wrath of students at a school owned by an aspiring parliamentarian.
The owner, William Gwengwe, is a member of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) which has given President Mutharika a ride for his money.
In what was seen as retaliatory attack, Muluzi was also stoned at Goliati in Thyolo, which is home to President Mutharika. Muluzi, however, escaped unhurt but some vehicles were damaged in the attack.
Muluzi seemed to run out of luck in the week as on Saturday, May 16, the Constitutional Court effectively ended his hopes of the presidency again when it ruled that Malawi Electoral Commission's (Mec) decision to bar him from standing in the May 19 was legal.
Mec had rejected Muluzi's nomination because it said he had already served two terms but the former Malawi leader appealed to the court to overturn the decision.
His party's fortunes were not helped either when another court which convicted an aspiring member of parliament, Reverend Wilson Ndomondo, for causing grievous harm and malicious damaged.
Ndomondo, who was to stand for the UDF in Machinga South East, on March 22, 2008 assaulted DPP's parliamentary candidate, Henderson Mleme.
Apart from Ndomondo, six other parliamentary candidates will not participate in the race for various reasons.
The candidates are Joseph Mbewe from Phalambe Central (independent), Joseph Banda from Dowa East and Yohane Nthala Msalira from Salima North, both UDF, Violet Tembo from Mzimba South West (MCP), Hopeson Jack Mande from Nsanje Central (Independent) and Johnson Kalea (Aford) from Rumphi West.
Announcing his withdrawal, Mbewe said he decided to withdraw because his research in the constituency had revealed that the DPP candidate Felton Mulli would win the elections.
"I discovered that Mulli is too strong as such there was no need to proceed. I have informed all my supporters to support Mulli and President Bingu wa Mutharika because these are the ones who are going to win," he said.
On the other hand, the two UDF shadow MPs have withdrawn from the parliamentary race to pave way for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidates in their constituencies.
But perhaps the biggest issue of the week was when opposition parties delayed the distribution of ballot papers and other materials from the warehouse in Lilongwe because they were investigating reports that the DPP had acquired extra ballots to rig the polls.
But it turned out to be a hoax when it was discovered that the suspected materials were templates for the blind.
The templates, 4,000 in number, are materials that would assist the visually impaired in the vote on Tuesday.
The distribution of the voting materials was expected to be through by Sunday, May 17, 2009.
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