Alliances headache

By Isaac Salima:

New electoral laws stand in the way of political parties that may decide to go it alone in this year’s general elections.

That’s because they may have no opportunity of negotiating for running mates should the elections produce no outright winner and require a re-run.

The amended electoral laws prohibit candidates from changing running mates in case of a re-run.

This means that parties who will not go into alliances in the first round of the elections will not have a chance of bargaining for positions of running mate in the re-run.

Speaking recently when he briefed members of a Political Science Association in Mangochi on the changes of legal regulatory framework in the management of elections in the country, Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) Director of Legal Services David Matumika Banda said that there will be no changes in the candidature in the re-run.

“The law is indeed restricting change of candidature. The President is contesting with his running mate and going into the second poll, the law is not allowing that candidate to change the running mate.

“This is because if that would be the case, it would open issues of nomination and other issues required to be put in place to have the candidate contest in the second polls,” Banda said.

The running mate position has been one of the most sought after seats when parties discuss alliances.

UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala described the law as a “challenge”.

“The amended electoral laws present a unique challenge, especially in a political environment where alliances are crucial for securing broad-based electoral support.

“The prohibition on changing running mates in the second round requires political parties to approach these decisions with heightened strategic foresight and to ensure their alliances are built on mutual trust and shared vision,” Njawala said.

He added: “For parties considering alliances, it becomes critically important to negotiate and formalise agreements well in advance of the elections. This will ensure that the choice of running mates reflects a unified purpose, as these decisions will remain binding throughout the electoral process. Early alliances also allow for cohesive campaign messaging and resource allocation, presenting a strong, united front to the electorate.”

Njawala, however, said lack of a legal framework regulating alliances is an unfortunate thing.

“The case of the MCP-UTM alliance serves as a stark reminder of this gap. Despite the MCP blatantly deviating from the agreement, they were not held accountable, showcasing the risks inherent in trusting political players who may lack integrity.

“Without clear legal safeguards, such breaches undermine the essence of alliances and erode public trust in political systems. This amendment should, therefore, prompt discussions on the need for comprehensive legislation to govern alliances, ensuring that commitments are honored and integrity is upheld in the political arena,” he said.

Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president Enock Chihana said the laws have both advantages and disadvantages.

“The advantage is that the same team that stood in the first round is maintained. This means there would be no divisions and disagreement between other parties as no one will feel being sidelined. Any party that comes to support that team will only offer moral support,” Chihana said.

The disadvantage though is that other parties will be hesitant to go into alliances because most of the parties opt for the running mate position, according to Chihana.

“This is because other positions such as ministerial positions are not guaranteed. That is the prerogative of the President [to appoint one]. This is unlike with the running mate position,’ Chihana said.

The Aford leader said parties need to discuss the alliance issue now.

United Democratic Front (UDF) publicity secretary Dyson Jangiya said that this is a wakeup call for the parties.

“With the 50 percent plus one voting system, alliances are a must. However, it will be difficult to agree on alliances when the laws say that you cannot change your running mate. These are the thorny issues that the Parliament could look into before passing the law. Now we are also talking about a law not recognising alliances and this gives room for abuse. Parliament could have looked into such issues,” Jangiya said.

Political commentator George Chaima said this is a tricky scenario for parties.

“What matters in an election to the parties is the issue of candidature. So, this law forbids parties from changing candidates. I feel if there was room, policy makers could have looked into the issue and changed the law,” Chaima said.

He further urged parties to ensure that they formalise their electoral alliances.

“Parties must ensure that they assess their strength. Honestly, in Malawi, no party can go solo and win the elections. What they need to do is to look for stronger alliances and draft a contract on how the alliance would be ran. This is because when the alliance is endorsed by the law, it will be difficult to breach it,” Chaima said.

Speaking recently, Zomba-based political commentator Ernest Thindwa said most political parties will not go into alliances in the first round so that they taste their strength and use it as a bargaining power when discussing alliances in case of a re-run.

As the country heads to the polls in September, most of the political parties are insisting on going it alone.

In the court ordered presidential elections in 2020, nine parties joined forces to form Tonse Alliance which was led by President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party who partnered the late Saulos Chilima of UTM.

However, all has not been rosy in the Tonse Alliance as some parties felt sidelined and have been ditching the coalition.

The then ruling party Democratic Progressive Party partnered UDF.