Malawi elections BDO audit report an eye-opener on ‘Tippexed’ results
“Behold, I have created the blacksmith who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy. 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. — Isaiah 54:16-17
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Malawi and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) requested audit report from Jordan-based auditors BDO as part of the support in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Among the tasks was to verify that the results received at the constituency tally centres and the National Tally Centre are mathematically correct.
The summary of the report, marked confidential and signed on May 31 2019, showcases findings from the forms MEC presented to BDO at the National Tally Centre highlighting the following: 273 Tippexed (corrected with the white corrector fluid), 65 manually amended forms, 45 forms with missing signatures, and 66 forms with missing political parties signatures.
Last week, this column posed questions to Prophet Shepherd Bushiri following his press conference where Malawian journalists were briefed on his desire for peace to return in Malawi.
The article, titled Some Questions and Pointers for Prophet Bushiri was not well-received by some of his followers and even those of the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Numerous comments flighted on social media looked at the article as querying the man of God. While there is inadequate space here to counter the general flow of those rants, the BDO report (despite being confidential, has been made publicly available all over the place) appears to throw weight to the side of the millions of Malawians that have doubted the integrity of the election result announcemed by MEC.
The auditors verified only 60 percent of the presidential tally sheets; while 24 percent of the sheets were Tippexed, six percent manually amended, another six percent had missing political parties signature, and four percent had missing signatures.
Alas, Malawians have lost confidence in the exercise due to the anomalies on many tally sheets that are elucidated in the audit.
According to BDO findings, “A significant number of Form 66 were over scribbled. As a result, most of Form 66 became a mess and therefore needed to be replaced by duplicate forms, manually prepared forms, which were completed at the constituency tally centres. Some of the forms were excessively Tippexed by presiding officers to do their corrections.”
How was it possible that presiding officers had Tippex in the tally centres? Who provided these? The dubious activities on Form 66 brings the entire election process into great disrepute.
The report recounts numerous wrong doings during the tally exercises, among them, suspected manipulations of results with many presiding officers leaving their stations, signatures not being attained from all parties; some presiding officers were unwilling to recognise the role of the auditors. The Army stepped in to stop this. Then there was numerous capturing of wrong information, submission of incorrect forms.
In short, the May 21 Tripartite Elections give the appearance of this being our first ever elections. We have done this before: in the one-party times, in a referendum, in the multiparty setting.
What went wrong in May 2019? It’s not rocket science. It’s not difficult to see. The answer lies in the fact that some people want to cheat at this; they’ve gone to the supreme extent to accomplish this, including giving monetary handouts, eliminating people in the know, including their own people, and trying to silence opposition viewpoints.
This is not what democracy looks like.
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Jannet Karim is a sibling to Sidik Mia and she is a true sympathizer for MCP seeing her uncle being declared bankruptcy shortly kkk!!This case obviously will favour the rulling Party.Its strange for Mia indeed.When Prez Jowise banda dropped him for Running mate for Sosten Gwengwe,this Kafr lied to the nation that he was going for spiritual work.When offered for postion as running mate by Chakwera Mia rushed to start selling his all cattle he stole from the poor in Lower Shire for th sake of supporting the MCP and Chakwera kkk.This is a whip from God kkk,so is Chakwera… Read more »
The audit report doesn,t explain any allegations of cheating let alone discredting figures as being fake. The report simply explains how things were and acknowledges that tippex was used to correct mathematical errors thats why even Chilima and chakwera removed the word fraud from ther petitions because they know that there was no rigging hence cant provide evidence against such. It is also not explained by this partisan writer as to who scooped most votes from the audited 60%
How can I claim my time back? A waste of internet space. Why is it too difficult to wait for the court case? If they order a rerun then let them order it, if they dont then they dont
Why is an audit report not part of evidence at court? MCP and UTM is sleeping here. Present the report please. And five panel judge act on it.
There was too much doctoring in these sheets. It shows that the DPP was at its best cheating. Just imagine that in Nkhotakota he got considerable amount of votes. I know those people couldn’t have voted for Peter Hitler Mutharika because he is very tribalistic. All he cares about is about his Lomwe tribe. The only solution in Malawi is to have a federal government where our three provinces will be allocated points according to their population. The Southern region = 35 points, Central = 30 points, and Northern region 25 points. In order for a political party to win… Read more »
hard to say anything on a leaked docuent. I cannot be sure if it is aunthetic.
“There is no country in the world that can conduct an election without irregularities. It all depends on the nature of irregularities to substantiate a re-run, otherwise irregularies alone is not enough a reason to support a rerun”. Prof. PLO Lumumba
Prof PLO Lumumba lost some credibility when he defended Uhuru Kenyatta in court, in the case where Kenya Opposition cried that Kenyatta’s party rigged elections. The public could not believe that Lumumba who seemingly has been advocating for integrity stood and defended such a character. Unfortunately for the Prof, they lost the famous case, and the Courts ordered for a re-run.
So please do take the statements of the Prof with a pinch of salt.
I would say PLO Lumumba was vindicated after Uhuru won the re-run. So your argument that PLO lost credibility after defending Uhuru is as lame as lame itself. The fact remains no election will be conducted without irregularities, otherwise we will be having reruns in every election even re-re-re-runs. And by the way those that are familiar with audit reports will tell you the matters in BDO report are just house keeping issues. Not warranting disqualification of an election. Apikene ?
you did not finish. what happened after the rerun?
Kodi ameneyi eyi ndiye uti? Olo flow yake ya nkhani yi kkkkkk
Bola kumakalemba ndakatulo azikawelenha ana akwanutu
Same music as usual. Neighbour doing what he knows best. Crying much, more, louder.
Ma Cadet you are too mean with the truth. For sure you can’t bite the hands that had folded kasikono mmanja mwanu. Ndiye kuti ganyu wanu sayenda apa. Its either you write shit here, or you loose timasikono. Shame on you, Malawi adzakhalbe kunchila ndi dyera lanu ilo . It doesn’t need a Scientist here to say that the elections were with more irregularities. The report is clear, whether it pains you in the ass or ur corrupt brains, the world knows now that we have a tipex president. That’s a fact you can not run away. So you are… Read more »
the elections were with more irregularies – compared with what? This is the first time we have ever had audit. The report will not vindicate MCP or UTM. It is the evidence they are bringing to court – which to me, is rubbish.
It’s very difficult for someone whose brain is just rubbish to appreciate the concrete evidence that MCP and UTM are bringing to court.
The evidence is indeed rubbish and one wonders why MCP and UTM are getting away with this lie that the elections were stolen. I am waiting for that evidence that will show all of us how chakweras votes were given to peter by way of making him a winner.
Surely, Cadets are very stupid, thieves, atidye nawo, they nthink APM will die in Sanjika, hange z coming!!!