The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has dismissed a complaint by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which wanted monitors to be present as the commission examines votes classified as null and void.
The DPP filed the complaint on Thursday saying the commission is conducting this exercise without consulting Party Representatives.
But MEC chairperson Chifundo Kachale said the reviewing of null and void ballots is a function of the Commission under section 97 of the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections Act.
He noted that the classification of the null and void votes was done at the polling station and witnessed by all electoral stakeholders including Party Representatives.
“The Commission is not counting the votes at this stage. All Party Representatives who were at the Polling Stations received copies of the Brief Summary of Results. The Brief Summary of Results has information on the null and voids.
“Under section 97 of the Act, the Commission is simply affirming of correcting the decision of Presiding Officers. The decision of the Commission in this activity is being shared with the public and all stakeholders have the liberty to verify,” said Kachale.
Meanwhile, the Commission has gone through the null and void results from several councils.
According to Kachale, the Commission has found out that some votes were wrongly classified as null and void and will add them to the totals of the candidates.
In Likoma, out of 21 null and void votes, 19 have been as null and void while two have been corrected and have gone to candidate Arthur Peter Mutharika of DPP.
In Mulanje, MEC has examined a total of 2,607 null and void votes and has confirmed 2,529 as null and void.
The commission has corrected 78 votes and 10 have gone to Chakwera, one to Peter Dominico Sinosi Driver Kuwani, and 67 to Mutharika.
