MESN says MEC election results accurate
The Malawi Electoral Support Network (MESN) has said the official results released by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) are accurate reflection of polling stations tallied, saying Malawians should have confidence in them.
Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has the lead with 30 percent of the votes counted from the country’s presidential election.
MEC announced the first official tally Friday night. Voting took place last Tuesday.
In the results, mostly from polling centers in northern Malawi, Mutharika is leading, while President Joyce Banda of the ruling People’s Party is in second with 23 percent. Lazarus Chakwera of the opposition Malawi Congress Party is third with 18 percent.
Electoral Commission chair Maxon Mbendera says more results will be released when the total vote count reaches 70 percent.
Addressing a news conference at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre, MESN board chair Steven Duwa said MESN conducted a Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) to verify accuracy of official presidential results announced by MEC.
“MESN deployed 800 trained and accredited PVT observers,” he said.
MESN said their projection is that after MEC final and official results, Mutharika is expected to get between 32.7% and 39.3% of the total votes; Chakwera to get 25.1% and 31.7; Joyce Banda 18.2% and 21.8% Atupele 11.9% and 15.5%. Remaining candidates 1.2% and 3.0%.
Duwa has since called on Malawians to remain calm and to show political maturity during announcement of official results by Mec.
The commission has until May 30 to announce the final tally.
