MEC lawyers delighted with extension of time in poll case

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) legal team have expressed profound satisfaction with the ruling by the High Court  sitting as Constitutional Court in Lilongwe  granting them additional time for collecting and filing sworn statements from Polling Station Officers for those stations whose results are cited in the Presidential poll case as being irregular.

The exercise had been halted as a precautionary measure by reason of disturbances that occurred in a few districts where the lawyers were prevented from doing their work without chaotic and life threatening protestations by rowdy partisan crowds that were aiming at preventing them from gathering material objective rebuttal evidence from the Commissions poll officers.

Lead attorney for MEC, Tamanda Chokhotho said the 5-day time extension will give the lawyers time to do their work to collect the statements so as “to disprove the obviously unfounded allegations of irregularities that the Petitioners made.”

MEC lawyers hope that the exercise will allow the whole nation to see that the returns in the Presidential poll did reflect the wishes of the nation.

“It has always been the contention of the Commission that the election was conducted according to all applicable laws and this will become evidence when the statements are collated and filed and when trial starts,” the legal team leader said.

“The Commission looks forward to a fair trial as everyone else does, so that this chapter is closed in the minds of all including those that are still hoping the results were otherwise.”

The same court also ordered Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader Lazarus Chakwera  to disassociate himself and condemn the statement that his party publicity secretary Reverend Maurice Munthali made ordering citizens to arrest MEC officials who were meeting presiding officers in different districts of the country.