A month after the May 21 polls, some United Democratic Front (UDF) election monitors in the southern region districts of Thyolo, Phalombe, Chiradzulu and other surrounding districts are yet to get their allowances.
The monitors were reportedly promised K10, 000 each which was to be given after rendering their services on the polling day.
In Thyolo district for example, only those who rendered services in Thyolo North Constituency received the allowances while none has received in the entire Phalombe district.
The party’s Youth Director in Phalombe Mr. Brighton Naphepa said that this appears to be the norm for the party as it similarly failed to settle allowances for some Monitors in the 2014 elections.
“In 2014 they also failed to pay the monitors. It will be difficult for supporters to trust the party again in the upcoming general elections. These delays have mounted pressure on us as the people here suspect we misappropriated the funds,” he said.
UDF spokesperson Ken Ndanga said their parliamentary aspirants were the ones who were supposed to provide the allowances to the constituency monitors.
He said in their arrangement the party was only obliged to provide a smaller percentage of the total constituency budget, a promise which they fulfilled soon after the elections.
Ndanga has hence called on the complainants to officially present their grievances to the party.
