Former Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Jane Ansah, who was recently unveiled as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) bona-fide member has reportedly thrown in the towel.
According to family sources, Ansah, a retired High Court judge and one of the most controversial figures in Malawi’s electoral history, is disillusioned and bitter over what she sees as betrayal by the same party she helped bring to power in 2019 through fraudulent election.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a close family member told publishers that Ansah has been quietly nursing political wounds following her recent defeat in DPP primaries in Ntcheu Nort East constituency. She suspects that DPP political actors had an active hand towards her merciless defeat.
She is very bitter with the DPP because she feels unappreciated. Her reputation is in tatters because of the same party which she supported to rig the 2019 elections, and now the party cannot even support her to contest,” said the family member speaking to our sister publication – Malawi Focus.
Ansah, who infamously presided over the 2019 presidential elections that were later nullified by the Constitutional Court due to widespread irregularities, including the now notorious use of Tippex to alter results, was forced to resign from MEC in the wake of sustained national protests demanding her removal.
Despite the public backlash, Ansah was viewed by many within the DPP as a loyal figure who stood by the party during its hour of need. However, her attempts to enter frontline politics on a DPP ticket appear to have been met with internal resistance and betrayal.
She expected an automatic endorsement or at least some recognition for what she did for them,” added the source. “But instead, the party rigged even the primary elections against her and in favour of Everton Chimulirenji. It is like history repeating itself, only this time she is on the receiving end, – he said.
The DPP, currently battling internal divisions and a leadership crisis, has not issued any official statement on the matter. However, some insiders suggest that her association with the 2019 electoral controversy may be seen as a liability by certain factions within the party seeking to rebuild their image ahead of the 2025 general elections.
Political analyst, Executive Director of the Political Rights Platform, Nancy Banda, has described the development as symbolic and indicative of the moral rot that has plagued Malawi’s political elite.
Jane Ansah’s departure from the DPP is more than just a personal decision. It speaks to the deeper dysfunction within the party. Here is someone who stuck her neck out for them in a very controversial manner and they have discarded her like a used tool,” said Banda.
Banda further said Ansah’s move to UTM, a party that was among those that challenged the 2019 elections in court, was ironic but not surprising: “Politics is about survival. Ansah realises that the DPP no longer has a future for her, so she is repositioning herself. The UTM, on the other hand, might view her defection as a propaganda victory,” suggested Banda.
However, Banda also warned that Ansah’s checkered past could be a burden for her new political home: “Let us not forget that her name is still heavily associated with electoral injustice. UTM must tread carefully. Aligning with her might win them headlines, but it may cost them public trust”.
If confirmed, Ansah’s defection would mark a significant realignment in Malawi’s political landscape and further underscore the growing instability within the DPP as it limps towards the 2025 polls. DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba downplayed the matter, saying rumours that Ansah was leaving the party should not be taken seriously, while Ansah herself abruptly ended the call when this reporter raised the subject.
