EU observers call for transparency in Malawi elections: ‘Rigging claims mere politicking’
The European Union election monitoring team officials have ruled out rigging in the May 21 tripartite polls, but called for Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to retain the confidence of the electoral stakeholders beyond the polls.
The EU election monitoring head Miroslav Poche described the tantrums by President Peter Mutharika indirectly accusing the vice-president Saulos Chilima of plotting to rig the elections as mere electioneering and politicking.
“No one can rig these elections. What politicians are saying is just politics. This is what they say when elections are near,” he said.
He, however, expressed worry that the government has not implemented many recommendations raised during the 2014 elections.
He cited the continued abuse and misuse of government resources by the ruling party as well as failure by the government to open up the state broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to the opposition, saying this was cause for worry.
He said for Malawi to have free, fair and credible election, these issues were supposed to be implemented.
Nonetheless, Poche, commended MEC for producing a clean voters roll which was one of the recommendations the mission made following complaints from political parties raised on irregularities.
EU has dispatched 80 election monitors across the country in both rural and urban areas.
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They know nothing about our electoral system. Last election they observed the rigged elections with irregularities.
only the 1994 general elections were free and fair. The other that have followed were just peaceful elections