MEC solidifies its Malawi poll case: ‘Tip Ex never affected results, no fake tally sheets’
This was despite the court refusing the MEC team to use the original results sheets to demonstrate the security features for demonstration purposes during the re-examination process.
Justice Dingiswayo Madise said it would be tantamount to ‘trial by ambush’ to allow MEC the original tally sheets which were supposed to be filed and pollster never did.
However, the court gave MEC a reprieve that they should bring to court the original tally sheets before submission to the lawyers on Friday.
Dismantling the case laid by the complainants that use of Tip-Ex amounted to an irregularity and that fake tally sheets were used in the presidential election cases in favour of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, Alfandika mocked the petitioners that elections cases are built on figures and facts and not mere speculations.
This was in direct response to allegations that his evidence was just mere speculation.
“The statements I made were based on facts and figures and not opinion. In election dispute, any dispute has to be proved by facts and figures and not mere allegations.
“In the figures we had as MEC and in absence of contrary figures we were convinced that the results were a true reflection of the vote and will of the people,” he said.
Alfandika also told the court that MEC never received any complaint from any monitor that they were denied a copy of the results and no challenge was raised against the results at the polling centres.
Asked by lawyer Tamando Chokotho why MEC wrote the BDO Jordan auditors to accept results that had been altered with Tip-Ex, Alfandika reasserted the stance of the MEC that it was used for correcting errors on the balancing part of the tally sheet and no valid votes were affected.
“Use of Tip-Ex did not invalidate the results, it did not mean that the results could not be submitted to the Commission. The Commission is the only authority that should make final authority on results.
“For all the results sheets that were Tip-Exed there was very close and rigorous vetting to ensure whether the Tip-Ex was for correction or bad intentions. It involved verifying with the log books,” he explained.
Alfandika also added that auditors who were placed at the constituency tally centre were contacted to verify the figures and they all confirmed that the alterations were made on the reconciliation part and no valid vote was affected.
The MEC chief elections Officer also took time to explain the use of the reserve tally sheets which had been branded as fake by the petitioners in a quest to move the court to invalidate the results.
“Reserve sheets were printed by same printer and cannot be termed as fake. Regarding sheets used from other centres by crossing the name of the centre, that is admissible. A presiding officer can request from another centre a result sheet.
“For the first time we had customized results sheets, that is why a crossing had to be made. In the past you could not detect it.
“This principle applies to all other materials including ballot papers. All these does not mean fake, it’s an initiative to ensure continuity of voting process,” he explained.
The MEC CEO also explained that the bar codes on the original results sheets (not reserve) were used as identifiers and not as a security piece.
“On reserve sheets, only one bar code was used for all of them. Reserve sheets were not apportioned to one centre because it could not be known in advance which centre would use them. We put them at constituency tally centre,” he said
Alfandika also cleared the mist regarding the delay of gazetting of the elections results in August that it was due to the printer (Government Press) who could not manage to do so in time despite being given the job in good time.
He added that despite the delay there was no complaint received by the Commission from the petitioners who had raised the issue several time in court.
The smiling CEO, without sweating also told the court that unused, cancelled, soiled ballots and null and void votes are not used to determine results of an election debunking the theory that was advanced by MCP witnesses, Anthony Bendulo and Richard Chapweteka that these votes were played around with in favour of Peter Mutharika.
Regarding the transmission of results from the Constituency Tally Centre to the Main Tally Centre, Alfandika said the decision was made in consultation with stakeholders including the UTM and Malawi Congress Party.
“The Commission was always listening to the concerns of the political parties and one of them was that at the district level there was a bottleneck.
“A proposal was made to process election results at constituency level under the delegated authority of District Commissioner to the national tally centre to speed up the process of results transmission. The challenges included congestion at district, difficult to follow the tallying and very difficult for monitors t follow the results to the district level,” he said
The MEC boss explained that District Commissioners handled results especially for the presidential tally and submit the same to the main tally centre.
We just need change for sure it has to come no matter how but it will one day be different, mpaka pano civil workers we haven’t been paid but someone is busy flying around akakubwezankoniso ali inu ayi go home kwanu kuli mavuto
JESUITS-JESUITS-JESUITS akazi makamaka muzifufuzako kuti MAJESUITS ndiati nanga ntchito zao paGLOBE ndizotani kapena amatani.Amenewa nchitozao ndizanseli,ma agent amdyelekezi.
UN (Jesuits/ayuda ndi aloma)akakonza amakhala akonza nkumangozunguza anthu poonongetsa chumachadziko munjila zosianasiana.Okhala prezident amayenela kukhala KHANG’A waSATANIC
If people divert the Truth from the bible and allow the parish or mission to be their guidance Rather than the bible ,what about elections.???? But no matter how tricky you can be the Truth always prevails.. My prayer is that God should give us pastors who fear God lay member who fears God and everyone who attend church service must fear God ….and then we shall not be cheating one another like this.
Today is no mistakes were reported yesterday was that mistakes and complaint were made although we didn’t deal with them before anounsing results, is this man smoking the big one? What is that we’re going to beleive for everyday he contradict his own staments.
In life when you realise that you’re fighting a losing battle, instead of being objective you choose to be subjective. The best practice is to attack Mr.Alfandika’s presentation and not concentrate on attacking him as a person. But that is not strange in a human being’s inner thought process whereby when you feel the grounds supporting your argument is crumbling you resort to a fist fight and think that will help in the attainment of the expected outcome. MCP/UTM zealots after realising their shortcomings and shortfalls, think by being militant, threatening, foul-mouthed and moving of goal-posts that that will confuse everybody. Remember that “That which God has ordained, no mortal human can alter”, that coupled with the loss of lives and property as perpetrated by your followers under the guise of FIGHTING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS distorts the agenda you people are constructing. Inevitable, at the end of it all the courts will determine whose evidence holds.
All this machinations was pertinently explained by Dr. Ansah during the stage-managed interview by Zodiak a while ago. From her answers one would tell that the interviewer was gob-smacked, for he didn’t expect such in depth responses from her. Even the visiting professor from Kenya tried hard to explain to the same Zodiak personnel the way elections are managed worldwide, but alas!! all that explanation was Greek to him. Just to inform those who didn’t watch the interview; the professor did say, “In all elections elsewhere, there are irregularities. What determines the rerun or nullification of an election is the degree/percentage of the irregularities presented or collected.” Now looking at the drama showcased by the two petitioners, the question still remains: How plausible and truthful is the evidence laid down? Chakhaza rushed to interview that professor thinking he was daft enough to start siding with semi-illiterate, archaic thinking. What a shame!!!!
This is talking sense, bravo! not what drunkards and so called analysists have been parroting to influence the judges
@Jason Bailer:
One would sincerely be moved by your telling of some of the thinking regarding what makes a forged election.
Yes, Truth and Fact: there is no election without irregularities, anywhere. And the Judges know that very well.
But good luck with trying to convince MCP/UTM Ultras that it is the extent of the malfeasance that is always the issue. Simply put, too many thick skulls in that arena.
Or is it, for them, the obsession with getting to the Presidency, even by hook or crook?
Petition based on thin ice. Lots of suspicion but little evidence. Alufandika wagayabe.
The author is a DPP cadet….no wonder he/she is hiding the name.
DPP moto kuti buuu 2024 APM wooo
Charie wakondwatu adad ako pitala zayela mpaka 2024 heti malilo nkulilana my poor Malawi nkhawa yanga ili pa osauka chisaulire chuma cha boma chikulukitika ma Albion eish ziwavutilapo mdziko lawolawo adad ako amakwana
MBUZI iyi
Taking advantage of monitors’ weakness. Why did you employ auditors, had security features and printed the ballots in Dubai. You could have entrusted your absulute trust for a valid vote in monitors to save our hard earned tax in first place. Monitors signiture was a 100% secuirty for valid vote?
ukayendera nzengo usati asakhwi afumbula kkkkkk alufandika mudziwe kuti ndalama zokuba nzathemberelo mudzapunduka kwachoka imfa matenda ndi kufa ziwalo osadziwika chifukwa chodzikundikila ndalama munalandilazo mudzasanza ndithu
Sitilola zimenezo alufandika ndi mec nonse ndinu zitsiru musazatiyalilenso panzere mukudziwa amene mutadzamuike pampando zopusa basi. Or ku school angalole ma figure opaka tippex pamayeso amangoti khwatchi mzere only with in line kuti zioneke zakale ndi zatsopano. Mec yandinyasa kwambiri tchupitizanu
Thanks Alfandika for trying hard to save your job but alas the die is cast. If you don’t get jailed then our judicial system is weak. As things are now, you are prison bound material. Re examination has only proven that you are a liar. Why should number of received ballots change as if in the history of Malawi a polling centre has registered 100% voters? Ballot papers are sent based on number of registered voters plus afew for contingency. As such why should ballot papers received change in number?
vuto, inuyo ndinu a MCP. Nkhani yatha
Naga, iwe si m’Malawi
Alufandika on top of the game. Musova.
And by the way the DBO report has other pages mussing…..that is ironic
What a writer ! Do you remember what Bob Chimkango said about the tally sheet for Mzuzu city and Rumphi West? …..
Apparently signed by one person ? He said that is a FAKE!
If that is the case dziko tigawane basi. We don’t want the Muntharika to rule us again.
MEC is damaged goods. after this case is concluded, all MEC staff should be sued for cheating Malawians. This is a serious crime
Disqualification was supposed to be done I guess. Where did they got the new figures to cover them equally no men unless you tell us lies mec . And Jane ansah cleared stated that tippex was not allowed on election on 147 complaints
zoti Rebecca Chirwa a presiding officer of Rumphi West was the same person who signed for Mzuzu city you have already forgotten?
Kkk that documents origin was questioned last week. It’s source is not known because that was not the document in pocession of mec and the 1st respondent. Musova.
Confirmation bias
Big contradiction on the Tipex sheets. How can the very same auditors who refused to accept these sheets verify that the Tipex was used to correct on reconciliation. Their refusal meant they can’t validate the figures hence they cannot go ahead to tell to accept the results. Mwadzikolakola kwambiritu apa.
Zolemba za a reporter awa zosamveka bwanji? Akuti “whether use of tippex and fake tally sheets amounted to irregularities”. It does not amount to, it is irregularities. S/he should check the legal definition of irregularity. And that these irregularities were widespread and consistent that by Alfandika’s own admission could not remember all poll centres involved, there’s no way such transgressions could not have affected outcomes of the elections
‘….initiative to ensure continuity of the voting process….’ It is obvious a witness does not have to sweat during re-examinations. Unless your lawyer is a moron. And there are so many of them.
In fact MEC is using fraud in this case and judges knows it. Where did they get that fake parking list? Did they not connive with same printers to give them a fake parking list in exchange of money? It is not right that the court allowed this case to proceed on the basis of photocopies. The original documents should have been used from the word go to deter MEC from using underhand tactics to get new documents.
nanga ma voti aja a polling centre ija yaku Mchinji, umboni operekedwa ndi Bendulo wayiwala kale? Komwe MEC inachotsera mavoti a Chilima, Chakwera ndi Chisi voti yake imodzi yeniyeni ndikuwapanga akhale null & void,imeneyi cadet ikuyiwona bwanji? Nkhani ili apa ndikuona kuti panali zokwika ndipo aliyense akumvomereza kuti zolakwika zinalipodi basi nkhani yatha.
Komaso palibe za re run ,chifukwa ndizongolakwika osati kusokoneza ma voti ovimerezeka
You can defend your wrong doings because you pocket a lot of money from these con men and women(DPP)but regards of that,when it is written and no one can stop it even money can not buy justice.
Its one thing to say it and its another thing to prove it. Why there were so many tippexing in this election? Should we really believe that the majority of the PO were poorly trained? Why did MEC not look for able people to handle the election? Let them bring the original tally sheets which they used to prove their theory. In the absence of those tally sheets it is hard to believe them.
This is your opinion because nothing of the rubbish you are writing came out like the way you are putting it unless you got your information from the nyanja translation from a lhomwe translator who changes the message unknowingly because of his limited vocabulary in both chewa and English.
Hahaha koma yeah
@kanchenga:
Koma ziliko ku MCP’kotu!
Mpaka disparaging the whole aLhomwe people, based on the speculation that the reporter got the wrong message?
Why is MEC refusing to bring original tally sheets? Why are they insisting on the so called reserve tally sheets? What’s on the original tally sheets?
Akuopa kuyaluka a mec
if tipex was used we cant we can have real figures 2, if they used counterfeit tally it shows that there was fraud, though stupid ALUFANDIKA is trying to defend pitala it want work the re-run is coming and SAM GONNA BE JAILED
Alufandika and a lot more people akapezana ku maula
ma banzi apweteketsa writers in Malawi…. is this the same case that is live on radios?
DO NOT DECEIVE US. The fact that tippex was used, whether for good or bad intention, its not acceptable. Can a bank accept a cheque with tippex? Or even you Alufandika, do you sign a tippexed document? Even if you sign you will however be interested to know what was the original word or figure.
Mr Kaphale you are trying to defend something that can not be defended. Whatever you told your client to answer in your cross examination was useless.
Adadi woyeee
Truth shall prevail
This Animal we call Alfandika is big fool! he is CEO and not aware that Tippiex was used to riggim the Elecations, why they call him Chief Exactive officer somebody who doesn’t know his job? I hope even the Results for Member of parliament didn’t go well there was someone who was playing Chanise games.
Indeed Dausi, Raph jooma are some of them who played Chinese game
That’s why dausi anamfwafwantha ku tally centre bt anthu okwiya pa galimoto ija idayenda yokha opanda a chitetezo usiku from nsanje to bt with votes to deliver them ku bt
Kodi mmayesa mumati munali ndi parallel tally center? That one where Suleman failed to get into MEC system? So what were your results? Bring them to court and challenge MECs results.
nkhani yatha
Actually you don’t need dcs in the equation. They must handle za ma MP. Izi za president ziziyenda straight. With all this technology muzilephelabe?
An excellent presentation. I hope the concourt judges will be objective and professional in the end and not politically or otherwise driven by the whims of power hungry and blood-thirst Arafat and his Trinity Bible college friend fake accent ex-reverend Yona Nyolonyo.
Gule kwao. Now I can see the light beyond the tunnel. UTM and Mcp,this guy called Alufanduka has now hit you below the belt. Chakwera go back to the pulpit. Msiska mpaka kuphwisa ndithu
I think you guy are stupid. You always put senseless comments
Wanama kwambiri aise sitilola ngati mwadya mabanzi mudziyenda chozembazemba mene zimayendera mbava intact Peter was not voted a winner u put him there. People they voted wisely ziphwisi zomwe ukuzitchulazi ngati pitala zinathotholedwamo we suffered alot with dpp and we needed to change the government
Zakuvuta izo wayankhula ndizosaveka. Crying of a dying horse.
Mcp utm muli kuti? Maloya anu aukali.