Receipt of the second consignment of Biometric Voter Verification Devices (BVVDs) at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe was marred with some disagreements.
The arrival of the devices was witnessed by representatives of political parties, Malawi Electoral Commission and the media.
MEC commissioners and representatives of some political parties had to convene a meeting to make Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representatives understand the process.
One of DPP’s representatives Mackson Somanje said he was not satisfied with the way MEC was receiving the equipment but, also, how it will be used.
“We understand the first consignment arrived last week. We were just told there were 2 000 devices. No political party representatives were invited to witness the reception. It is strange because that means MEC does not want to be held to account. Transparency and accountability are key in any election,” said Somanje.
He added: “We have also not been oriented on the use of these devices. As party officials, it is us who are supposed to educate our supporters on the purpose of the devices during the elections. How can we do that when MEC doesn’t take us through the process?”
But MEC commissioner Richard Chapweteka said Malawians should not panic as the devices are only for identifying eligible voters at the polling stations on September 16 2025.
“In the past, a person who did not register to vote could use another person’s voter registration card to vote. The purpose of these devices is to contain such cases,” he explained.
The aircraft carrying the devices, Emirates Flight EK9747 landed at KIA at 12.40pm.
According to MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa, MEC is supposed to have 15 200 voter verification devices for the September 16 2025 General Election. It received 2 000 in the first consignment, while the second consignment has 6 450 with the remaining devices expected to arrive on August 8.
