Resolve disputes before official results—MHRC

Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has asked Malawi Electoral Commission to resolve all electoral disputes in the May 21tripartite before releasing official election results.

MHRC’s sentiments follows Mec’s failure on Friday to give update on the votes that respective presidential candidates amassed because the electoral body wants to investigate all the complaints that has been lodged with it.

But briefing journalists and election observers on its preliminary findings at Crossroads Hotel in Blantyre on Saturday, MHRC executive secretary David Nungu observed that despite that the voting process was well managed, inclusive, peaceful and transparent; the management of the results has been chaotic as it has been marred by several irregularities.

Said Nungu: “The Commission therefore makes the following recommendations: 1. MEC should clean up the electoral results before declaring them officially. 2. MEC should deal with any single electoral complainant and investigate each one of them with responsibility and seriousness before releasing official results.
“3. All political parties and candidates should become responsible and exercise responsibility as they wait for MEC to finalise all the processes that will lead to the announcement of official results.”

Nungu said MHRC has noted the assurances by MEC to address all electoral irregularities before announcing results and it will monitor such assurance.
MHRC’s recommendations comes barely hours after Malawi Congress Party, one of the strong contenders in the 2019 polls, backed the electoral body’s delay to give updates on the vote that presidential candidates amassed as it was investigate complaints which are inter-linked with the results.