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POLITICS-MALAWI Elections Get Worse for Women Pilirani Semu-Banda Lilongwe, Malawi, Nov 24 (IPS) - Malawi's primary elections are getting ugly for women candidates. Shoving, derogatory songs by stoning are just some of the tactics of intimidation aimed at discouraging women from contesting the primary elections that will select candidates for the parliamentary elections in May 2009. Gertrude Nya Mkandawire, one of the legislators very vibrant ruling party the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), recently withdrew from the race in the primary election in his constituency Solora Mzimba, northern, where she was running against 10 men. "I can no longer continue," Nya Mkandawire told IPS. "Faced with all kinds of threats from my opponents, all of whom are men." Groups of angry people yaliimba songs humiliating and shoved in rallies. selex galileo edinburgh "They have been destroying my campaign materials, including flags and posters, in the night to discourage me from contesting," he added. The last straw came when DPP committee members and members of the primary election when they demanded money. "They said I can only win elections after paying some money and I did not find this to be good," he told IPS. The culture of handouts is common here during elections. Politicians distribute money, food and blankets for the citizens of their state, claiming it is a way of sharing the wealth. Veronica Njikho gender activist says the practice of freebies disadvantages women politicians because men already have significant financial capacity selex galileo edinburgh that women do not. "It's only 23 percent of women have an equal voice with their partners in economic matters at home and do not have the financial capacity like their male counterparts when it comes to politics," said Njikho. Women withdrew Njikho activist campaign 50/50, led by government and 42 civil society groups, to promote women's representation in politics selex galileo edinburgh and decision-making. The Campaign has condemned the intimidation and harassment of women candidates. Violence is marring some rallies for men candidates selex galileo edinburgh as well. "There are a lot of political violence being reported from all corners of Malawi and this is discouraging a lot of women from participating in the elections," said Njikho. Gender issues expert explained that most women do not want to be associated with or be victims of violence: "By nature, women are not violent people." A large number of the 425 women wanted to run for parliament at the start of the campaign 50/50 but only 200 were able to continue. "Others were withdrawn from the race due to more harassment and intimidation," he told IPS Njikho. Is concerned that given the growing reports of intimidation during the primary elections will prompt more women to abandon politics. Campaign seeks to see women win at least half of the 193 seats in parliament, according to the Protocol on Gender and Development aJumuiya Development Southern Africa, signed in August, which mandates a 50 percent representation of women in government by 2015. Malawi scores below the average selex galileo edinburgh for South Africa in sub-Saharan Africa have representation of women in parliament, with women as only 14 percent in parliament. The big challenge for the Campaign, said Njikho, is uneven political field of the plains. Men hold top positions in politics, they support their fellow men and against women candidates. Leaders selex galileo edinburgh fail women Lilian Patel, selex galileo edinburgh MP and chairman of the Malawi Parliamentary Caucus, blamed party leaders from causing these problems. Like the DPP, the other main parties - the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are headed by men. "Both political parties have failed to put a deliberate effort to ensure women get up," said Patel, a member of the UDF. November 13 primary election in the lake district of Nkhatabay ended with a stampede, selex galileo edinburgh while DPP supporters started throwing stones after a dispute over the legitimate voters. Three women were contesting the election. Meanwhile, Nya Mkandawire not achani and politics. She is considering running selex galileo edinburgh as an independent or join another party. To discourage selex galileo edinburgh this decision, the DPP came to technique, he explained. DPP candidates who took the nomination forms in primary elections are required to sign a declaration that if they failed, they would support the winners, and they would not turn and run as independents or join other parties. "The declaration selex galileo edinburgh would have been fair if the elections were fair but, in this case, we have to look the other way so we can stay in politics," said Nya Mkandawire. Run stones and insults are not the way he yoifikiria pursued. Respect and safety for all women candidates, that is what she wants. (END/2008)
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