Madonna is in Malawi but ...

Its all over that Madonna is in Malawi trying to adopt another baby from Malawi. But wait a minute! If you are in Malawi you will agree with me that her visit to Malawi is not any news right here in Malawi. Ask many people on the streets and villages in Malawi they will tell you that they do not even know that there is a woman known as Madonna currently visiting Malawi to adopt some kid in the country.

I have checked today's daily papers in Malawi - the Daily Times and the Malawi Nation newspaper, they have not even featured any story about Madonna's visit. Listening to different radio stations, it seems none is even reporting about this except MIJ FM radio which featured this story in one of their evening news bulletins yesterday. Surprisingly, MIJ FM radio was also quoting an AFP report.

So please give us a break on Madonna! Instead of trying to show her 'charity' by picking cute babies from Malawi, Madonna should emulate the good example of Oprah Winfrey who built a girls school in South Africa. Otherwise, Madonna's visit is not news to some of us.

I hope many in Malawi would agree with me that the forthcoming general election on 19th May 2009 is the one making news headlines now. This election is important to Malawians as it will determine leaders who shall continue the 'onslaught' against poverty in Malawi as the current government of Dr Bingu wa Mutharika is doing.

So, once again, please give us a break on Madonna and her adoption issues!

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Bravo to the Ministry of Local Government in Malawi!

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Malawi recently launched their website. The url of the website is http://www.mlgrd.gov.mw/.

I followed the official launch of the website through Zodiak Broadcasting Station, one of the most vibrant private radio stations in Malawi. To the Ministry of Local Government in Malawi, I say keep it up! In fact, other government ministries in Malawi should follow this good example. Nowadays, we can never underestimate the power of posting information on the Web!

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Why should the Malawi Electoral Commission have a website?

Addendum: MEC has now a website at http://www.mec.org.mw/

19th May 2009 is fast approaching. Definitely, this will not be an ordinary day for Malawians. On this day, eligible voters will trek to various polling stations to participate in the fourth multiparty presidential and parliamentary elections. After all the campaigning, contestants shall have to wait on the verdict by voters on this day. As in any race, there will be winners and losers. If there is transparency in the electoral process, losers will honourably accept that maybe that is not their time to win. As the wise man said everything has a season. Time to lose an election and time to win an election.

An elderly woman votes in Malawi (May 2004).
Picture courtesy of VOA News

However, one thing that determines the success of an election is transparency. If an electoral process is transparent, various stakeholders could quickly agree on an outcome of the result. With the counting of votes being crucial, one would expect the announcement of official results to be publicly available through all form of media such as radio, television, newspapers, etc

Of course, some have advocated for the establishment of a parallel tally centre for the forthcoming elections. This issue is quite debatable but one thing that is certain is that people would want that official results be announced to the public as the results will be trickling in from different polling stations. This would enhance the spirit of transparency.

In my opinion, I think that one of the ways through which the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) could foster transparency in the electoral process is through the establishment of its own website. Unless I am mistaken, I have not yet come across a website for Mec. A google search for Mec website also yields nothing except website links that talk something about Mec.

A website for Mec will definitely serve as one of the platforms through which Mec would make official general announcements to the public. In addition to this, election results would be posted on the website as the vote counting process would be unfolding. This would give the public real-time updates of the vote-counting process.

We also know that the election would also attract the attention of the international community. In addition to this, we should also not forget Malawians who are living abroad. The electoral process would also be of high interest to them. The Mec website would therefore also help these stakeholders to follow the electoral process in Malawi through an official website of Mec. Otherwise, they will do so through grapevine websites!

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