VETERAN politician Vernon Mwaanga has said African leaders who participate in elections must learn to accept results of polls even when they lose.
Mr Mwaanga, who served in various portfolios in the MMD government and is a former diplomat, said it is detrimental for politicians not to accept election results.
“African leaders who participate in elections must learn to accept the results of elections representing the will of the people,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He said politicians should not regard elections as free and fair only when they win.
Mr Mwaanga said developments in Malawi, where incumbent President Joyce Banda has been attempting to annul elections and order recounts, are a discredit to Africa.
He said Ms Banda should take a leaf from Zambia, where first President Dr Kenneth Kaunda in 1991 accepted defeat and handed power peacefully to Frederick Chiluba and former President Rupiah Banda in 2011 conceded defeat and gracefully handed over power to President Sata.
Mr Mwaanga said procrastinating in accepting election outcomes is a recipe for chaos.
He urged Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders to consider helping Malawi resolve its election problems.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwaanga has commended South African President Jacob Zuma for appointing 15 women in his 35-member new cabinet.
He has also appointed 16 female deputy ministers for the 36 positions available. Mr Mwaanga said South Africans and political parties deserve praise for putting up and electing 43 percent women in the new parliament.
South Africa is now a model of democracy in Africa.
VJ the chief rigger you have spoken well. But especially incumbent presidents, are the ones that are supposed to accept defeat.
Its very easy for the opposition to accept defeat but not for the sitting president, especially that they have all the machinery to rig the elections like you used to do with the late (MHSRIP).
this is rich coming from the so called “master rigger”!
A squandered Tonga peoples’ hope! What really went wrong with his chances in local politics? I am aware of his adventures with illegal drugs of early 80’s and the self imposed debt traps. A big waste for Zambia as a whole …
The legend has spoken! Stay healthy VJ.
“…Meanwhile, Mr Mwaanga has commended South African President Jacob Zuma for appointing 15 women in his 35-member new cabinet…” It is interesting to see that Africa’s economic powerhouse has so few Cabinet members compared to one of the world’s poorest countries in the name of Zambia under the leadership of HE Micheal Sata. Please trim your cabinet to save costs from huge salaries and allowances!!!!
Good observation @Suntwe. Add to that the fact that economies with funny structural characteristics are usually expensive destinations, too. Your Kwacha does twice the job for the same thing in RSA for example. They make their systems lean so that the resources can better spread to even the so-called 99%. In Zed it is the 0.5% spreading everything amongst themselves and the other 0.5% that they hook up with and appoint fraudulently…
Absolutely, Kal!
In Zed we need to move away from the notion that once you are up there you stick up there. Only Chiefs and Kings have that luxury. Once we are comfortable with that it will be easy to see an ex-President become a lecturer in a university or run a foundation for philanthropic causes as happens often in other countries.
Pardon me, bloggers, I meant in Afrika (Africa)… which encompasses Zed actually, although to its credit we have had some changeovers thus far that are consolidating our gains in democratic change.
This is the same man mentioned in Malawi news papers before elections. Whom should he advice as him never was a president. 3/4 want recount. In one constitution 38,000 voters registered .. 148,000 ballots collected from voters, HOW COME????