BUNDA STUDENTS HAILS BEC FOR MEC

It takes many years, resources and people to build a good reputation, and only takes one bad one to lose it all at once. In the dawn everything started very well as every morning expected to yield great products and bring joy, development and unity among individuals, not knowing that a dusk will bring a nightmare. A dream hoped not to be remembered at all, dream that brings dashing hopes accompanied with magnitude to shaken the unshakable hearts, move the unmovable stands, and force the crippled to runs some kilometers without holding a cane. This comes as Bunda college students hails Bunda Election Commission (BEC) for failing to run credible elections, arousing anger, discomfort and distrust in Bunda college students to opt to call Malawi Election Commission (MEC) to run the elections.

A crowd of students protested around the campus and in students hostels whilst shouting “MEC is a pipe! MEC is a pipe!” (meaning there is no other authority to trust apart from MEC only, explained one student.) after the candidates who are contesting for Bunda Students Union (BSU) leadership positions came out of the meeting room which was been called by BEC on 19 April calling out all contesters to congregate on the following day, 20 April to hash out the risen matters of what led to the cancelation of the voting process, the leaking of elections results that was released to the public depicting vote counts of all candidates when the elections was already been called off and way forward to the elections.

(Bunda students protesting against BEC over MEC- as they are coming from the meeting with BEC)

(BEC Calling off elections)

Unknown source leaked the document of election results on 20 April 2024, the document went viral on Social media platforms like WhatsApp and BEC Chairperson, Patrick Kawalewale and secretary, Brendah Chiwaya urged the Bunda community that the circulating document were false results and urged people to disregard it. On 22 April same month BEC confirmed in their minutes released to Bunda community WhatsApp groups and communities on 22 April 2024 that the leaked PDF file (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5x8z4PfF_9MAZXgM_xWQC98tnCSPJEc/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=109812281396756496339&rtpof=true&sd=true) results were similar with the ones in their system. They said that the case is under investigation to track down the individual(s) who was responsible for the leaking of the results, and Once found the individual(s) will face disciplinary action. Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR) management, the Department of Bunda Students Affairs chaired by Dr. Ronnie Mvula is working hand in had with the Bunda Electoral Commission and other authorities in tracking down the PDF leaker.    

(BEC memo announcement of false results)

Despite that, concerned contesters were unhappy with the act taken by BEC calling off elections as they were reflecting on the cost of time and resources that they spent during the campaign period and registering for various events proposed by BEC to meet the requirements. On the same day concerned contesters sent a document to the Director of students Affairs (DOSA) of Bunda campus, Bunda Electoral Commission (BEC), Faith Based Organization (FBO) and Catholic Commission for Justice & Peace (CCJP) demanding that the election process should proceed on 20 April 2024, and they also pointed out their concerns that they were tired of how things were being handled and managed by the entities responsible for running the election process since number of irregularities were being spotted during the election process. “Voting must be done tomorrow, 20 April 2024, the ICT team for tomorrow must be changed and Bunda Electoral Commission must provide catering services to our monitors,” demanded concerned contesters.

(Memorandum to BEC, DOSA, FBO & CCJP)

Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. On the same day, 19 April 2024 earlier before the termination of election at 4:57pm, BEC claimed for extension of voting time to 11:30pm from 7:00pm and the results to be announced at 12:00am. The aspirants did not just let BEC swift the voting time anyhow, affected aspirants namely Joseph Mwitha, Gloria Manyonga, Ruth Mkoko, Zwange Kumwenda, Yamikani Muha, Aluya Kangu, Mag Banda, Emily Chitete, Zailet Mwakikunga, Latoya Ngwira and Edna Zainab Kachinda took the first move standing in the first line troops to request BEC to postpone their sudden shift of voting time, as they highlighted that challenges may be incurred in administering the election on the said time as this will portray hunch on the credibility of the election. They pointed out their considerations over their decision as they had no monitors at the polling stations at the said period, technical issues such as internet and polling gadgets malfunctioning that were being experienced to have affected the number of voters, outside campus settlers could have not reach the polling centers at the said period. “There has also been lack of formal timely communication from the commission”, “we have lost trust in the ICT team for failing to administer an online election,” exclaimed the affected contesters.

(Concerned contesters request  BEC to maintain the agreed time)

BEC conducted a meeting as commission members to talk about the postponed election, and since action speaks louder than words BEC members agreed to number of conditions that the voting process have to be performed in the coming two weeks, and this has to be done in two ways either dry running or re-running elections. The question is where the crying voices of the concerned students were being heard or considered? BEC has not hesitated but take another step forward to re-administer the election, and BEC said Bunda ICT will rerun the elections despite that it was the same ICT team that encountered errors in the previous voting.

Students have been encouraged to participate in voting when the election process re-administers and BEC urged partakers to cast their votes at agreed venues since this time around polling will be done manually in polling stations and not via online voting as it has been before.