By Madalitso Phiri, MEC Stringer
Over 200 United Transformation Movement (UTM) monitors who took part in monitoring exercising during 21st May, 2019 tripartite polls in Chitipa district have expressed their depression by the party for not sorting out their dues up to date.
According to information from some monitors who opted for their anonymity confided to this reporter on Monday 11th May, 2020 that the party has not yet paid them their allowances since last year despite several enquiries at both district and regional levels.
“We had to sacrifice our personal duties in our homes to serve the party. We were promised to be given allowances (undisclosed amount) to carter for food during the poling day. Surprisingly none got it the whole district,” lamented monitors.
As a result for these unsettled allowances, monitors have also revealed that they had all rejected monitoring service in the first phase of voters registration exercise ahead of 2nd July Fresh presidential poll and agreed not take any future offer.
However, Dstrict governor for UTM Fidelis Kambalame said if the concerns are genuine the best way is to channel their grievances through structures that they got to the level of being monitors.
“It is important to note that as monitors they have a structures that is answerable if there are issues to be addressed by the party, the best is to follow basic protocol” Kambalame advised.
Meanwhile, Regional governor for the North Leonard Njikho has confirmed the grievances to be genuine saying they have not yet paid monitors but in specific centres not the whole district.
Njikho revealed that monitors from central, east and north constituencies are the ones heavily affected attributing to the misunderstanding between the team which travelled from Lilongwe to the district to sort the dues and monitors themselves recently.
The governor (Njikho) has since assured that money is ready and will be given to monitors soon once all logistical arrangements are done.
UTM’s presidential torch bearer who appeared on the ballot paper during 21 May, 2019 tripartite elections will not appear on the ballot during this fresh presidential election following UTM-MCP Tonse alliance.
