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The opposition has described the differences between initial and gazetted results of the May 20 polls as “a testimony of electoral fraud” and demanded that Electoral Commission Chair Justice James Kalaile should step down .
MCP spokesperson Bintony Kutsaira said on Thursday the differences in number of votes is enough proof that the commission announced results before final compilation.
In the gazette, Bingu wa Mutharika’s votes rose to 1,195,586 from 1,119,738 as announced by Kalaile at the tally centre in May.
His runner-up John Tembo is recorded as having amassed 937,965, 91 as opposed to 846,457 announced earlier and Gwanda Chakuamba scooped 836,118 votes from 802,386
“This is a true reflection that they deliberately twisted and delayed the results to rig for the UDF. This is a big testimony that they were biased because we asked them not to declare results before attending to all complaints but they ignored us and went ahead,” Kutsaira said.
Legal Adviser for Mgwirizano Coalition Kamuzu Chibambo demanded that Kalaile step down. Chibambo described the results as a big shame “because we don’t know which results to believe, the gazetted ones or the results he announced at the tally centre.”
Chibambo said this is why the Mgwirizano Coalition and MCP jointly decided to challenge the results. He said they suspected electoral fraud by the commission.
“In the first place, the PPEA stops the chairman from announcing any results if there are any results missing, or all results are not in,” he said.
Section 96 (3) (4) says if any record from any district or other element necessary for the continuation and conclusion of the determination of the national result of the election is missing, the chairman of the commission shall take necessary steps to rectify the situation and may, in such case, suspend the determination for a period not exceeding 72 hours.
Subsection 4 also asks representatives of political parties designated in writing to the commission to be entitled to observe the determination of the national result of the election.
Moses Mkandawire of the Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) said the commission has put in doubt its credibility by changing the figures.
“You cannot change the figures after announcing. This automatically destroys the validity of the results,” Mkandawire said.
But Personal Assistant to Commission Chairperson Willie Kalonga defended the commission’s decision to announce the results before all results from polling centres.
“Suppose we receive results from five centres and indications are that most of the people in those centres are likely to vote for one candidate, what do we do?
“This is what happened, because we had taken long to announce results and there was a lot of pressure for us to do so,” Kalonga said.
He said the gazetted results are a reflection of complaints, nullified results taken into account and after collecting everything.
UDF Spokesperson Mary Kaphwereza Banda said the UDF was not happy with the numbers in the Central Region but defended the commission, saying they should not be blamed.
“Why should you blame them? The Electoral Commission is not for UDF. It has members from MCP, Aford and UDF. So, what these parties that are complaining should do is to look at their people in the commission,” she said.
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