UDF tells MEC to handle voter registration kit issue professionally

United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson Ken Ndanga has warned the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to handle the issue of the ‘lost but found’ th voter registration kit with professionalism, saying it has potential to cause political anarchy.

Ndanga, writing on his Facebook wall says MEC should not only issue a statement to explain the mystery surround the gadget but call for an immediate all stakeholders meeting  so that  they  can interrogate  the matter  in the  spirit of transparency and accountability.

“MEC must immediately call for a meeting involving all stakeholders so that they can interrogate the system in the spirit of transparency and accountability.

“By its nature, the data gadget is a ‘black box’ for elections therefore it cannot be left to leave the hands of the MEC, cross the borders and be brought back in such a mysterious circumstance,” says Ndanga.

He said after the statement and the meeting, the stakeholders will make a decision on whether to force MEC chair Jane Ansah or MEC chief executive officer Sam Alufandika to resign.

“When public institutions fail to give convincing explanations to the public about its conduct and that of its officers, the general public should not be faulted for being suspicious,” says Ndanga.

He says an electoral process marred by such ‘man made’ irregularities is recipe for electoral violence, saying this is undesirable.

MEC chair Ansah is facing calls to resign as there is a general feeling that she will no credibly allow Malawians enjoy their right to participate in a free, fair and transparent electoral process.

The concerns about rigging of elections emerged in July this year, when Vice-President Saulos Chilima, while launching the United Transformation Movement (UTM), alleged that he is aware that government has procured a spying machine.

But MEC has denied the existence of a rigging machine in the country.