Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has rejected a request by local observer group Chisankho Watch to access the voters’ register to assess its accuracy and completeness to facilitate independent verification.
MEC chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi, in a letter dated June 5, said the commission is unable to release the voters’ register for the September 16 General Election beyond what is prescribed under the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections (PPLGE) Act.
Chisankho Watch, a coalition of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Public Affairs Committee, m-Hub and Gender Justice Unit, sought access to both the preliminary and updated voters’ register as well as the final voters’ register for the 2019 Tripartite Election and the court-sanctioned 2020 Fresh Presidential Election.
The coalition requested for data, including each voter’s name, date of birth, sex, residence, national ID number, proof of registration number and registration date in a format that can be analysed.
Sections 20 and 21 of the PPLGE Act give MEC the mandate to make available the voter’s register to allow voters, parties and observers to verify entries in the register.
But in his response, Mpesi said the commission already made the voters’ register available for inspection by electoral stakeholders, including Chisankho Watch at all voter registration centres and MEC regional offices.
He said: “The commission appreciates your assurances regarding data protection and your stated intention to support electoral integrity. “However, the commission is duty-bound to adhere strictly to the provisions of the law and ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of voter information are maintained in accordance with statutory requirements.”
In an interview yesterday, Chisankho Watch chairperson Gilford Matonga said the proposed exercise would have involved the use of advanced software to identify any inconsistencies in the voter’s roll.
However, he said the coalition recognised MEC’s responsibility in managing the voter registry and hopes to foster greater collaboration with the commission to ensure electoral integrity and public confidence.
Last week, MEC also rejected a joint proposal by five opposition political parties to conduct an independent audit of its election management system.
Reacting to the developments, political analyst Ernest Thindwa said in an interview yesterday that the demands were an indication that MEC is experiencing low trust from some stakeholders despite trying its best to operate within the limits of the law.
He said: “MEC has a daunting task in terms of managing the stakeholders’ perceptions and demonstrating that it is neutral but the challenge is that the commission cannot persuade everybody to change their perceptions.”
Malawians will head to the polls on September 16 this year to elect a President, 229 members of Parliament and 509 ward councillors. MEC’s preliminary registration figures show that 7.2 million voters have registered to vote.
