Malawi govt refuses to fund forensic audit on voter biometric kit
Government has flatly refused to fund an independent auditor political parties and other stakeholders want to carry out forensic audit on the missing-but-found voter biometric kit.
Electoral stakeholders want independent investigators to carry out the operation after some components of the biometric registration kits went missing in Mwanza and Mzuzu.
The quasi-religious body Public Affairs Committee (PAC) said they would champion the exercise.
Newly appointed Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Henry Mussa said the government operates under guided budget line therefore it would be impossible to bring in unbudgeted line.
“PAC must have a budget line to take care of such contingencies. It can never be true that the government should just jump into and say we will fund it,” said Mussa who is the official government spokesman.
He said this after PAC officials and other electoral stakeholders who met in Blantyre agreed to find an independent auditor to carry out the exercise after the missing kit was found in Mozambique, raising fears that it might have been tampered for rigging purposes.
Fingers are pointing at the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that it schemed the whole operation in a bid to rig the elections, an allegation denied by the party.
Mussa said PAC can easily contact donors who can fund such an exercise.
Former vice-president Cassim Chilumpha, a representative of the political parties, asked MEC to facilitate an independent forensic audit into all electoral equipment “in care and custody of MEC” for purposes of elections to ensure that the results are credible and non-partisan.
He said the missing-but-found registration kit and MEC’s “own contradictory statements” on the issue have ensured that instead of improving, the commission’s public image continues to get eroded.
“We believe that this is not in the national interest and that every effort needs to be made to reverse the situation,” he said.
Chilumpha said the purpose of the audit was to allay concerns the loss of the equipment has aroused in the minds of many Malawians.
Besides the audit, he said the parties also requested PAC to convene an all-inclusive stakeholders’ meeting to discuss and consider measures to ensure the elections’ preparatory process is peaceful and equitable to all parties.
PAC has also agreed to hold the conference where a report on the audit findings would be shared with the public.
Chilumpha, who is leader of the Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD), disassociated the 11 political parties bloc present at the meeting from calls for the resignation of MEC chairperson and commissioners, saying they were not party to the demand.
The parties include UTM, ADD, People’s Party (PP), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), Malawi Forum for Unity Development (Mafunde), Alliance For Development (Aford), Republican Party (RP), New Labour Party (NLP) and People’s Transformation Party (Petra).
MEC chairperson Jane Ansah said the missing equipment, which belonged to the National Registration Bureau (NRB) had no effect on the registration process and that there was no data loss.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Not only that Dear Linda, but also used for funding the stupid cadets, Does it come under budget line? Bodza la mkunkhuniza lopanda nalo manyazi!
Che Henry Mussa, Musaname Kuti Governmemt Can Never Jump In And Say It Will Fund The Audit Because It Operates Under Budget Line. How Did You Jump At Funding The Appeal To Block UTM Registration? Was It Under Budget Line? Mukunamiza Ana Eti? Manyazi Mulibe, Mmaso Muli Gwaaa Ngati Mfiti? Kukana Kali Kutsaya? Mwagwidwatu Kale Apa Mutabisala Mmbatata! Gogo Wanuyo Akupatsani Chiyani Apa Muli Nkhope Ngati Nyani? Mxiew!
It’s obvious, ain’t it? DPP cannot authorise funding for an investigation which will reveal their clandestine strategy to rig. They would have authorized if the audit were on opposition, particularly MCP.
WHERE IS BAKER TILLY FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT UP TO DATE ?
TO HELL WITH YOUR AUDIT REPORTS —
Asaaaaah. koma abale.chimatchini chipezeka bwanji ku mazambiki. Munenatu bwino inu.ngati inali deal eeeeeh am very sorry Mulungu waiona ndipo achitapo kanthu. Kuti mudziwe kuti kulira kulibe msinkhu,mkulu woyendetsa chisankho analira kkkkkkk nde be careful
Mulowererepo ambuye,ife anthu osauka amene tilipo ambiri miyoyo yathu ili pa ngozi.Anthuwa amangotifuna pa mavoti basi .GOD REMEMBER MALAWI
Kodi ma polls akenena kuti DPP idzawinawa simukuwamva? Mukufuna anene kuti bwanji. Did they say DPP ikadzabela idzawina? Tazimvani kamodzi relatives (abale)
for your own information palibe cha new one chilichose angabwelese peter mutalika basi kungonama miseu basi antu mufele zimenezo
a musa inuyo nde mukufuna muzioneka ngati a shasha inuyo wopanda nzeru ngati iwe , basi inu mungobela movoti basi antu akusiyeni , you just want to exploit our votes on a voting day siziteka zimenezo mutalika wakalamba sangalowe pampando kawili pa mavoti okuba that’s nonses, stupid Malawians mumanama kuti independence inabwela timazilamulila pali chani pamenepa aziba mavoti two times inu muli momo mukungokala for nothing
No surprise there, why would they want to fund their own guilty verdict?