By Our Reporter

Copyright mwnation

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) yesterday started a three-day exercise to dispatch ballot papers to constituency tally centres ahead of the September 16 General Election.

MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja, speaking at the dispatch ceremony for the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Election ballot papers at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, said the farthest constituencies were given priority.

She said the electoral body earmarked 60 of the 229 constituencies on the first day and will extend the exercise to the rest of the constituencies between today and tomorrow.

“In the first dispatch, we have Chitipa, Karonga, Likoma and Nkhata Bay districts [in the Northern Region]. The ballot papers will be kept at a constituency tally centre of each constituency and not at the district council. We will ensure that there is tight security through the whole process,” said Mtalimanja, a judge of the High Court of Malawi.

Commenting on fears of possible disruption of the electoral process due to erratic fuel supply in some parts of the country, she said the electoral body has secured enough fuel to cover the whole exercise.

Said Mtalimanja: “We have not been affected by fuel shortages as all our 229 trucks that are carrying ballot papers have enough fuel to take them to the designated constituencies.

“On top of that there are service stations designated to assist so that the electoral process is smooth.”

During the exercise yesterday, there was heavy presence of Police officers and Malawi Defence Force soldiers that are providing security.

The exercise was also witnessed by representatives of some political parties that are contesting in this year’s elections; namely, governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Alliance for Democracy (Aford), UTM Party and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

In an interview, UTM Party director of elections Bright Kawaga expressed satisfaction with the electoral process this far, saying the party is tracking the ballot papers at every stage—from the KIA Warehouse to the constituency tally centres.

“We have placed monitors in all constituencies. We have trained them and we expect that they will deliver to our expectations,” he said.

Similarly, DPP information communication technology specialist and lead monitor Mackford Somanje said the party is satisfied with the process so far.

He said: “We did not have any serious issue with MEC except one incident where we noted damaged ballot boxes. We raised that with the electoral body and that was resolved.

“Other than that, we are satisfied with the process. We will continue to track the ballot papers from here up until to constituencies. We are following every electoral process.”

Somanje has since asked MEC to continue being transparent as the electoral process enters critical stages.

The official campaign period is expected to close on Sunday, 48 hours before the polling day.

About 7.2 million registered voters are expected to cast ballots in the general election, which will determine the presidency, 228 parliamentary seats and 503 local government positions.

Lawrence Chaziya of Lilongwe Chilobwe Constituency was declared winner because he went unopposed, as did Hilton Masache of Nyang’amiro Ward in the same area. MEC has suspended councillors elections in five wards following the deaths of candidates in the areas.

The presidential election winner will be determined by a 50-percent-plus-one rule as interpreted by the High Court of Malawi sitting as the Constitutional Court in February 2020 in a 2019 presidential election petition.

The court nullified the election and ordered a fresh poll, decisions that were upheld by the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal.