Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) President Peter Mutharika has questioned the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) insistence on using the Smartmatic Election Management Device, citing its troubled history in some countries.
Mutharika who was addressing the media on Thursday at his Page House in Mangochi district, expressed skepticism about the device’s reliability and asked why MEC is insisting on its usage despite its global controversies.
“Why is it that MEC and its Chairperson are clinging so much to a machine that has been discredited all over the world? Why? We need an answer. It’s a mystery,” Mutharika said.
Mutharika also criticized MEC Chairperson Annabell Mtalimanja, urging her to prioritize her role as a representative of all Malawians rather than any particular party. “They are not employees of the Malawi Congress Party or Chakwera.”
The DPP President is also demanding that votes be counted manually, the voters’ roll be subject to independent auditing and that local and international monitors, must be furnished with a copy of the results counted and tallied at exporting centers across the country, before submission of the results to the National Tally Center.
“Votes should be counted manually and transmitted manually,” added Mutharika. “MEC must allow independent auditing of voters’ roll, as has been the case in the past.”
Mutharika’s concerns extend beyond electoral issues, as he also criticized the government’s economic management, highlighted by the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) decision to cancel extended financial facilities.
“They have failed to run the economy. It’s time for them to go now. Not September 16th, but now. They must go,” he said.
