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What started as a peaceful polling day in Lilongwe degenerated into mayhem as stakeholders converged at the returning officer’s office claiming several vehicles, some of them parked at the premises, had been caught with ballot boxes already stuffed with marked ballot papers for ruling alliance candidate Bingu Mutharika.
But returning officer Davis Sado dismissed the reports, saying they arose from misunderstanding of electoral procedures.
In the heat of the confusion, some police sources claimed eight ballot boxes had been intercepted full of Mutharika votes, while human rights activist Ollen Mwalubunju said six vehicles brought to the returning officer’s office spoiled ballot papers instead of leaving them at the polling centres for reconciliation.
Human Rights Consultative Committee chair Rodgers Newa, however, said some of the boxes suspected to have Mutharika votes contained stationery when opened. He, however, lamented uncontrolled circulation of empty ballot boxes.
Other reports from the clergy said two vehicles were found down town Lilongwe with registration certificates and a voter’s list from high-density township of Area 25, a development that prevented some voters in the area from casting their votes. Electoral officers and bitter stakeholders were still trying to sort out the problem at sunset.
OneYoung Democrat, allegedly sent by a ruling party parliamentary candidate contesting in one of the urban constituencies to bribe a presiding officer with K50, 000 to stuff ballot boxes, was tidied up with blows in another high-density location of Area 49.
There were ugly scenes at the returning officer’s office just before noon when some electoral commission vehicles were found in Ngwenya with empty ballot boxes and ballot papers for Mzuzu City.
“People are just misunderstanding the whole issue,” said returning officer Davis Sado complaining of fatigue. He confirmed some unused Mzuzu City ballot papers and empty ballot boxes were found in one of the commission’s vehicles in Ngwenya because of a mixed bag of reasons.
“The driver was under instruction to move some ballot boxes to Bunda where they were inadequate. Some electoral officials discovered the ballot papers during inspection. I think they were found in the area just due to misparking,” said Sado looking worn out after being molested by some angry stakeholders.
“I have tried to talk to some of these people that there is nothing sinister, but it seems they will not hear of it. I am now tired, very tired,” he said. Sado insisted that the empty ballot boxes were being moved from places of over supply to places of under supply. He dismissed reports that ballot boxes had been found with marked ballots.
However, Mwalubunju was one of the many witnesses of the emotional scenes said the commission was taking the dose of its own medicine. The civil rights activist said the electoral body did not tuck enough confidence into the electoral process, paving way for intensive suspicion.
“It is the same commission which told us that it has excess ballot papers, now why do they have these stories that some places are undersupplied? This is what is creating suspicion,” said Mwalubunju. “The blame must be placed right at the doorstep of the commission.”
Mwalubunju also questioned why the driver caught with the ballot boxes and papers was not accompanied by a security official.
Police spokesman Willie Mwaluka could not be reached for his comment.
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