The National Elections Watch (NEW) is now being operated by only one woman, according to some members of the coalition. They have called on the feckless leadership of the coalition to be transparent and accountable in the use of donor funds received for its activities.
Following the coalitionโs outburst in its politically- motivated statement of 2nd June, 2022, some prominent members have warned that โThe coalition stands the risk of undermining its legitimacy to some key election stakeholdersโ.
They have called on the leadership of the coalition โto develop a culture of transparency and consultation with its members, especially executive members representing the various regions and districts, before public statements are made on sensitive national issues on behalf of the Coalitionโ.
The enraged members of the coalition have also called on the leadership of NEW to set up โA committee, comprising representatives from all the regions, should be established to discuss and agree on the coalitionโs position on crucial national issues especially those relating to electoral reforms and activities.
That the secretariat devices an arrangement on how funds received for and on behalf of NEW coalition are allocated to constituent coalition members through the regional or district executives for activities and the sharing of audited financial statement with coalition partners, including asset management within NEW.
That there is need to convene an emergency general meeting to discuss the issues identified above in order to maintain the credibility and stature of the coalition among election stakeholders and the general public. There is also need to take a well-thought out and solution-focused position and approach to the controversies relating to both the 2015 and the 2021 Mid-Term Census reports.
It is hoped that the leadership of National Elections Watch (NEW) will respond to these concerns with the urgency and importance that they deserve. The fact that we have been compelled to go public with these issues shows the lack of adequate internal consultation in our coalition and the need to slow down and rebuild a vibrant and functional working relationship with the entire membership.
