Chakwera’s witness awaits TNM’s  virtual private network to testify on vote rigging

The much awaited Malawi Congress Party (MCP) six and last witness Daudi Suleman  in the presidential election results nullification case is expecting TNM plc  one of the country’s integrated information and communications technology and mobile phone network operator will sort on the virual private network (VPN)  connectivity so that he can  log in the Malawi Electoral Commission  (MEC) servers  and demonstrate to Constitutional Court  how the electoral body’s system was compromised during the disputed May elections.

Anger, disappointments and  furry dominated the court in Lilongwe on Wednesday following the failure by MEC  team to establish VPN connectivity which raised suspicion from some quarters that it was sabotage.

VPN extends a private network across a public network, and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.

As a matter of background users utilize mobile virtual private networks in settings where an endpoint of the VPN is not fixed to a single IP address , but instead roams across various networks such as data networks from cellular carriers or between multiple Wi-Fi access points without dropping the secure VPN session or losing application sessions.

Mobile VPNs are widely used in public safety where they give law-enforcement officers access to applications such as computer-assisted dispatch and criminal databases, and in other organizations with similar requirements such as field service management and healthcare.

With the increasing use of VPNs, many have started deploying VPN connectivity on routers for additional security and encryption of data transmission by using various cryptographic techniques.

In an interview with Nyasa Times,  lead lawyer Modecai Msisha for MCP presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera  who alongside first petitioner Saulos Chilima of UTM Party are seeking nullification of the presidential election results over alleged irregularities in the  results management system, said they had been told that TNM are working on the VPN connectivity.

“If that connvectivity is established, we will be able to go. Whether we will accomplish all we want , will depend on other factors,” said Msisha.

Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale representing the electoral body said they have raised “one or two technical issues” to the court which two experts have identifies.

He said MEC was also not amused with the failure of the system.

On Tuesday, a panel of five judges hearing the matter, dismissed MEC’s assertions that access to the system would compromise the security of elections in the future and will leave a financial burden to MEC.

The court said the elections case was a matter of national interest that the public would be able to pay for future procurement of new system if need be.

The judges said it was, therefore, critical that Malawians hear what happened to their votes amid questions about the credibility of the process.

The court observed that public confidence in future elections hinges on the current matter in court.