By Duncan Mlanjira

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Candidates are therefore urged to respect the procedures, avoid making premature claims of victory, and wait for compiled and verified results from

* This collective discipline will help ensure that the outcome of the election is accepted by all and that the country remains united as it awaits the final declaration of results

* Presidential election to be announced within eight days, the parliamentary election within 14 days, and the local government election within 21 days from the closure of polling

* In accordance with Section 98 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act

By Duncan Mlanjira

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja says as the results of the general election continue to be compiled and tallied, she called upon all contestants, their supporters, and the general public to remain patient and calm.

She said this at a press briefing midday today at the National Tally Centre at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) to give an update on the results tallying process and to explain in simple terms the electoral process for determining winner in presidential election.

She indicated that while various stakeholders are free to do their own parallel tallying, they should exercise “discipline and meticulousness in their work”.

“Elections are serious business and stakeholders should refrain from throwing into the public domain crude and rudimentary calculations. The public is also urged to consider everything shared as unofficial until the final results is released by the Commission.

“As a reminder the mandate rests with the Commission to declare winner. It will be the results of the Commission that determine who is declared winner on all the three elections.

“The period of results processing is often highly sensitive, and the conduct of the candidates plays a crucial role. This collective discipline will help ensure that the outcome of the election is accepted by all and that the country remains united as it awaits the final declaration of results.

At this stage, Mtalimanja announced that results from polling stations across the country are being collected and the forms are being physically transmitted to constituency tally centres in all councils — while the electronic transmission will commence at the constituency tally centres.

As at 11h00, the status of retrieving results from polling stations to the Constituency Tally Centres indicates that 12 districts have completed their process, which are Chitipa, Mzuzu City, Salima, Lilongwe City, Mangochi, District and Town, Balaka, Machinga, Chiradzulu, Phalombe, Neno and Luchenza Municipality.

Mtalimanja reiterated that the Parliamentary and Local Government Election winners are determined using First-Past-the-Post system — that is whoever gets the greatest number of votes wins the election.

“For Presidential election it is a different process. The law provides that the winner should get more than 50% of the valid votes that have been cast. On this one we need to be cautious on how the 50% is calculated.

“Some tend to use the total number of registered voters and others focus on total votes cast. Please, it is the total valid votes cast figure that is used. In other words, for one to win presidential election, the number one candidate should amass more votes than the sum of the rest of the 16 candidates.”

And in accordance with Section 98 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, Mtalimanja indicated that MEC shall announce the results of the presidential election within eight days, the parliamentary election within 14 days, and the local government election within 21 days from the closure of polling.

“These timelines are designed to ensure that the Commission has adequate time to verify, audit, and authenticate all results before they are made official.

“We urge the public to exercise patience and to wait for the Commission to release the official and credible results once all procedural processes have been completed.

“The Commission will not hurry the results management process just because some political party leaders and candidates are piling up pressure for release of the results. Each and every vote will be subject to due process to ensure its validity and credibility.”

She emphasised that during this crucial period of results counting, security and transmission remains very tight and well- coordinated, said MEC is working closely with the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force to ensure that all tallying centres across the country are safe, secure, and operating without interruption.

“We are aware that emotions can run high as the nation eagerly awaits the outcome of the election. However, let me make it very clear — any individual or group that attempts to perpetrate violence, intimidate officials, or disrupt the smooth counting and transmission of results will be dealt with firmly and swiftly according to the law.

“Security officers have been deployed in sufficient numbers, and both the police and the army are on high alert to respond to any threats,” Justice Mtalimanja said, while reiterating that all political parties, candidates, and their supporters to exercise restraint, patience, and respect for the process.

“The security measures in place are not only to protect the integrity of the vote, but also to safeguard the rights of every Malawian. Together, let us ensure that peace prevails as we await the final outcome.

She also announced that MEC received a complaint from Adrian Masimbi, a duly nominated independent candidate for election as Councillor in Ighembe Ward of Karonga Songwe Constituency, that his name was omitted from the ballot paper for the ward.

MEC was further informed by the Constituency Returning Officer, and has confirmed that Magret Mwakalinga, a candidate for the Muvi wa Chilungamo Revolutionary Party (MRP), was also omitted despite having been duly nominated.

“Upon inquiry, MEC established Adrian Masimbi’s name was inadvertently omitted during the configuration of photographs for the ballot paper and that Magret Mwakalinga’s nomination was inadvertently omitted during the generation of ballot paper templates.

In view of these findings, MEC has resolved to cancel the Local Government Election in Ighembe Ward pending a by-election that will be conducted in accordance with the law, in the same manner as if a vacancy had arisen.

“The Commission wishes to highlight that this is an isolated case which has happened in only one ward out of the 509 wards. The Commission is, therefore, taking this matter seriously and will continue with internal inquiry to completely find how this happened.

She reiterated MEC appeal for peace and calm across the country, saying: “Elections are a competition, but at the heart of this process is the unity and stability of our nation.

“Let us remember that Malawi is bigger than individual ambitions, and as such, we must guard our peace jealously as we await the official results from the Commission.

“I would like to remind all political parties, candidates and their supporters that they should not overstep the Commission’s authority and make incorrect claims or false claims of being in knowledge of the results before they are announced.

“As we work on the results determination the Commission would like to make the following appeals:

1. Political leaders should refrain from stirring public pressure against the Commission to release the results without considering the due process;

2. Political leaders should refrain from making political statements that can stir unfavourable orientation of the public towards the Commission. Leaders should not utter statements that will make people live in public fear and discomfort. It is the expectation of the Commission political leaders will avoid making statements that may be understood as implying victory;

3. The Commission has provided adequate results sheets at every polling station so that every party and candidate representatives should get a copy. These are self-carbonated copies. If representatives encounter a presiding officer or a returning officer who is refusing to give them copies of the results they should immediately report to the Constituency Returning Officer or the Council Returning Officer or the Malawi Electoral Commission immediately;

4. Without infringing on media freedom and freedom of expression, the Commission wishes to advise media houses to refrain from providing platforms to utterances that can disturb public order and insolence.

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