National Newspaper Publishers Association in United States of America (USA) has described the electoral process in Africa authentic.
The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Association, Dr Benjamin Chavis Jnr made the remarks Monday in Lilongwe where he is leading a five-member independent media team from the Association to observation the election in the country.
In his remarks Chavis said democratic elections in Africa have been very authentic and countries are upholding the democratic principles of holding multiparty elections periodically.
“We are impressed that in Africa, multiparty dispensation has been enhanced and people have been accorded a chance to express their democratic rights to vote,” he said.
He added; “This is quite different from bigger democratic countries such as US and UK where only two parties compete for government control unlike what is happening in Africa.”
He said his delegation which is representing a section of Black America Publishers has come to Malawi to observe the May 21 elections and to report positively on how the elections are being conducted.
Chavis pointed out the giant Western media such as Washing post, New York Times and Guardian have reported about Malawi but not on the positive strives the country is achieving but they have concentrated on the negatives.
He said “Our Association wants to change the land scape adding American society need to give positive stories about Malawi and how they are developing their country.”
He further said that their association is intending to establish formal working partnerships and cooperation with the country’s media and see how best they can foster the connection.
He said the have observed elections before in Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Angola and we were impressed and encourage to see how excited the voters were, getting ready to cast the ballots on the poling day,
“This is the first time, we are in election observation in Malawi and we are hoping to continue with the process in years to come,’ Chavis added.
Malawi is conducting its sixth presidential elections since 1994 where the country voted for the change of government system from one party rule to multiparty democracy in June 1993.
Over 55 political parties are said to have been registered in the country since the dawn of multiparty democracy.
Three political parties named UDF DPP PP have ruled the country during the multiparty era while MCP rule the country since independence in 1964.
Over 6.4 million registered voters are expected to exercise their democratic right on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 to vote for their political parties’ representatives of their choice and a president to lead the country in the next five years. rL�E��1
