Public Affairs Committee (PAC), a quasi-religious grouping, has advised Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and opposition parties to engage in dialogue to clear the mistrust over use of digital election management system and other concerns.
PAC made the suggestion in an interview yesterday in reaction to calls by four opposition political parties who want MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi to resign for allegedly being compromised.
The parties have also demanded the termination of a contract with Smartmatic International Holding for the supply of election management devices (EMDs) and election system management software.
In a letter dated November 7 2024 addressed to Mtalimanja and signed by secretaries general of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), UTM Party, United Democratic Front (UDF) and Alliance for Democracy (Aford), the parties warn that if their concerns are not addressed they will hold vigils at MEC offices.
But in an interview, PAC spokesperson Gilford Matonga suggested that the best way to resolving the dispute is for the electoral body and the political parties to engage in dialogue instead of debating the issues in the media.
He said a third party such as PAC would only come in to mediate if the two sides have failed to reach a concrete resolution.
Said Matonga: “PAC has been involved in mediation before. We do not come in if there has not been engagement between two warring sides. The parties should consider dialogue before resorting to vigils.
“The two sides can also use platforms like the National Elections Consultative Forum [Necof] for dialogue. If that fails then we can come in. We do not have enough time until September 2025.”
In a separate interview, political analyst Ernest Thindwa said there is need for a conflict resolution mechanism to deal with emerging issues resulting from different perceptions, largely driven by competing interests.
He argued that while the courts are capable of intervening, the electoral process has some aspects which do not easily lend themselves to judicial intervention and are best addressed by the political process.
Said Thindwa: “Much depends on the willingness of key actors on both sides of the political divide to put in place a mechanism to reconcile competing political interests shaping perceptions undermining the electoral process and its likely outcomes.”
He, however, noted that it is important that diverse stakeholders have faith in personnel managing the electoral process, saying the primary focus should be on transparency and effectiveness of the electoral process to deliver credible outcomes.
Another political commentator Wonderful Mkhutche agreed with Thindwa and Matonga, saying the commission has to meet with the opposition parties to explain clearly how the concerns will be addressed.
He said: “This approach of answering a press briefing with another prescription briefing will not take this issue any further.”
MEC communications officer Richard Mveriwa yesterday confirmed that they had received the letter from the parties and said a meeting was called yesterday to review the concerns.
In their letter, the parties propose engagement of independent information and communications technology (ICT) auditors as well as assurance to the nation that numbers for the entire electoral process will be transmitted manually as was the case in the 2020 election.
Asked to produce evidence on the claims against Mtalimanja, a judge of the High Court of Malawi, and Mpesi, DPP secretary general Peter Mukhito said in an interview yesterday that their demands for resignation are a vote of no confidence in both officers to run an institution which demands 100 percent impartiality.
On Smartmatic EMDs, he said the gadgets are innocent until human beings are tasked to operate them. He said MEC also turned down their proposal to hire independent ICT auditors.
UDF spokesperson Dyson Jangia said Mtalimanja must deal with people’s perceptions about her position and how results of the elections will be accepted.
He also observed that most of the current crop of political leaders is not well conversant with electronic equipment, as such, digital transmission should be used in future elections.
In an earlier response, Mtalimanja stated that MEC conducted due diligence on Smartmatic, saying the company was identified through a transparent process conducted in line with the country’s procurement laws.
She further said the commission visited the company’s assembly plant in Taiwan as well as Zambia and Kenya where the firm has been involved in supply of election technology.
MEC also recently rejected requests to have independent ICT auditors to monitor election management systems and conduct manual transmission of election results.
