The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has warned political parties against claiming victory as vote counting continues following Tuesday’s elections.
The commission has also told political leaders to refrain from stirring public pressure against the Commission to release the results without considering the due process.
MEC chairperson Jane Ansah said this on Wednesday hours after Malawi Congress Party presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera suggested that he was expected to form the next government and warned people trying to tamper with vote counting that his government will make sure they face the law.
At the briefing, Ansah said political leaders should refrain from making political statements that can stir unfavorable orientation of the public towards the Commission.
“Leaders should not utter statements that will make people live in public fear and discomfort.
“I would like to remind all political parties, candidates and their supporters that they should not overstep the Commission’s authority and make incorrect claims or false claims of being in knowledge of the results before they are announced.
“The MEC has managed to deliver a violent free, fair and transparent election and we are equally capable to delivering credible results,” Ansah said.
She also advised media houses to refrain from providing platforms to utterances that can disturb public order and insolence.
Ansah said the commission has received and recorded complaints which have been lodged through its established complaints channels and she assured all stakeholders that any particular result that is a subject of a complaint which is likely to affect the outcome will only be determined after the determination of the complaint.
According to Ansah, some of the complaints include name of contestant missing on the ballot, arrest of party roving monitors, presiding officer accused of instructing voters to vote for a particular candidate, number of voters recorded to be more than the number of registered voters at the centre and issuing and receiving of handouts.
She said some of the complaints have been dismissed for want of merit and some are being investigated so that a determination should be made based on evidential findings.
