PAC tears apart MEC, says results of May 21 elections lacked credibility

Quasi-religious body, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has made a stinging attack on Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for its failure to manage the May 21 poll results, saying the outcome lacks credibility.

PAC chairman Reverend Felix Chingota said the organization had tried to seek an audience with MEC prior to the announcement of the results but the pollster declined to meet them.

“We tried to seek an audience with the Malawi Electoral Commission prior to the announcement of the results but we were told that all concerns pertaining to the election had been resolved,” said Chingota.

Chingota said the poll results were supposed to be released  after all concerns were resolved, saying a lot of poll stakeholders feel there was injustice in the handling of the results.

“The use of tippex on result sheets raised a lot of eye brows,” said Chingota.

He said the electoral process largely failed at results management level.

Chingota said PAC backed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) decision to challenge the results in court and seek a recount in some districts.

MEC chief executive officer Sam Alufandika said the pollster could not meet each and every stakeholder during the crucial time of releasing the results.

He maintained all complaints were addressed before the announcement of the final results.