Jane Ansah
{{Short description|Malawian lawyer and former Attorney General}}
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| name = Jane Ansah
| image = Jane Ansah at VOA (sq cropped).jpg
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| birth_date = 11 October, 1955
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| known_for = Attorney General of Malawi from 2006 to 2011
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| nationality = Malawian
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Justice Dr. Jane Mayemu Ansah, S.C. (born 11 October 1955) is the former chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission. She is also a former Malawian Supreme Court Judge and was the first female Attorney General in Malawi.{{Cite web|url=http://www.maravipost.com/jane-ansah-sc-appointed-malawi-election-commission-chairperson/|title=Jane Ansah SC appointed Malawi Election Commission Chairperson|date=2016-10-14|website=The Maravi Post|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://mwnation.com/ansah-sworn-in-as-mec-chairperson/|title=Ansah sworn in as MEC chairperson – The Nation Online|last=Kumbani|first=Precious|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/justice-ansah-sworn-new-malawi-electoral-commission-chairperson/|title=Justice Ansah sworn in as new Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson|date=2016-10-22|website=Malawi Nyasa Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}} She is most known for her role as the head of the Malawi's Electoral Commission during the 2019 general elections. Her role in this position sparked national protests both in support and in opposition to her role due to election irregularities resulting in protestors calling for her resignation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.maravipost.com/mec-chairperson-jane-ansah-has-become-a-hero-to-many-malawi-women/|title=MEC Chairperson Jane Ansah has become a hero to many Malawi Women|date=2019-05-26|website=The Maravi Post|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}} In July 2020, she left Malawi for UK.{{Cite web|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202007070885.html|title = Malawi: Ansah Cleared to Exit Malawi for UK Through Zambia|date = 7 July 2020}}
Career
She served as a High Court judge from December 1998. She then served as Attorney General of Malawi from 2006 to 2011. She was appointed as the Supreme Court of Appeals judge in 2011. Ansah was appointed to Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission in October 2016 succeeding Justice Maxon Mbendera.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mbc.mw/index.php/extras/programmes/saturday/item/3125-apm-appoints-four-new-high-court-judges-dr-jane-ansah-is-new-mec-chair|title=APM appoints four new High Court Judges: Dr Jane Ansah is new MEC Chair|last=Simutowe|first=Yamikani|website=www.mbc.mw|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-07-21|archive-date=2019-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810224058/http://www.mbc.mw/index.php/extras/programmes/saturday/item/3125-apm-appoints-four-new-high-court-judges-dr-jane-ansah-is-new-mec-chair|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=https://mwnation.com/ansah-sworn-in-as-mec-chairperson/|title = Ansah sworn in as MEC chairperson | the Nation Online|date = 22 October 2016}}
=2019 Malawi elections=
File:Pro Jane Ansah placard at VOA.jpg
She was accused of mismanaging the 2019 Malawian general election which led to the Jane Ansah Must Fall campaign in which nation-wide anti-Jane Ansah protests calling for her resignation occurred in June and July 2019.{{Cite web|url=http://www.maravipost.com/malawis-concerned-youths-on-mec-chair-jane-ansah-must-fall-campaign/|title=Malawi's concerned youths on MEC Chair Jane Ansah must fall campaign|date=2019-07-05|website=The Maravi Post|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.mbc.mw/index.php/euro-2016/item/8306-hundreds-of-women-join-iamjaneansah-solidarity-march-in-blantyre|title=Thousands of women join 'IamJaneAnsah' solidarity march in Blantyre|last=Online|first=M. B. C.|website=www.mbc.mw|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-07-21|archive-date=2019-07-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190711165123/https://www.mbc.mw/index.php/euro-2016/item/8306-hundreds-of-women-join-iamjaneansah-solidarity-march-in-blantyre|url-status=dead}} A group of women (pro-Jane Ansah camp), led by Seodi White and Minister of Gender Mary Navicha argued that Ansah was a victim of sexism and gender discrimination.{{Cite web|url=https://mwnation.com/minister-to-lead-pro-ansah-protests/|title=Minister to lead pro-Ansah protests – The Nation Online|last1=Mk|first1=Lucky|last2=awire|date=9 July 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-21}} They staged a counter protests that were in solidarity of Jane Ansah and her role in the elections.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/gender-discrimination-blamed-for-malawi-election-allegations/a-49541349|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190710170156/https://www.dw.com/en/gender-discrimination-blamed-for-malawi-election-allegations/a-49541349|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 10, 2019|title=Gender discrimination blamed for Malawi election allegations {{!}} DW {{!}} 10.07.2019|website=DW.COM|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-21}} Thousands of women marched in defense of her role in the elections, many wearing shirts written "I am Jane Ansah".{{Cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/africa_malawi-women-protest-defense-embattled-election-chairperson/6171582.html|title=Malawi Women Protest in Defense of Embattled Election Chairperson|website=Voice of America|language=en|access-date=2019-07-21}} Both the High Court of Malawi (sitting as a Constitutional Court) and the Supreme Court of Malawi in their respective rulings which nullified the elections, found the electoral commission under her leadership incompetent and negligent.
Calls for Jane Ansah were intensified by the wave of demonstrations that were led by Civil society group Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) that was led by Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Billy Mayaya, Luke Tembo, Mcdonald Sembereka and Others.{{Cite web |title=HRDC makes fresh demands for Ansahs resignation |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/hrdc-makes-fresh-demands-for-ansahs-resignation-new-malawi-electoral-commission/ |website=Nyasa Times}} Other groups also demanded that Ansah resign, with Malawi Congress Party Diaspora Network Chairperson Chalo Mvula also adding calls Ansah to go.{{Cite web |last=Namasani |first=Durell |title=Diaspora MCP intensifies calls for Jane Ansah to be fired |url=https://www.247malawi.com/diaspora-mcp-intensifies-calls-for-jane-ansah-to-be-fired/ |website=www.247malawi.com}}
=Resignation=
File:Anti Jane Ansah tee shirts at VOA.jpg
On 21 May 2020, Ansah announced her resignation as chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission after two successive court rulings confirmed massive irregularities in the 2019 elections. Consequently the courts ordered that fresh presidential elections be held. On 22 May 2020 President Arthur Peter Mutharika accepted her resignation.{{cite news |title=Ansah resigns as MEC chairperson: Pens Malawi leader |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/ansah-resigns-as-mec-chairperson-pens-malawi-leader/ |accessdate=22 May 2020 |publisher=Nyasa Times |date=21 May 2020}} On 7 June 2020, President Mutharika appointed Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale as the new MEC chairperson replacing Judge Ansah.{{cite news |title=Mutharika appoints Kachale as MEC chair {{!}} Malawi 24 - Malawi news |url=https://malawi24.com/2020/06/07/mutharika-appoints-kachale-as-mec-chair/ |accessdate=8 June 2020 |publisher=Malawi24 |date=7 June 2020}}