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BLANTYRE. — Voting in Malawi spilled into a second day after riots sparked by the late opening of polls marred an election seen as a test of President Joyce Banda’s rule.
Speaking after casting her vote in the eastern town of Zomba, President Banda described the election as open and democratic.
“I would love to get a fresh mandate from Malawians but it’s not up to me now,” she said.
“It’s up to Malawians who have seen my works in the last two years to decide if they want me or not.”
However, the military had to be deployed on Tuesday after irate voters burned polling stations amid allegations of rigging when some bureaus opened 10 hours late.
Twelve candidates are vying to become president, with Banda among the four frontrunners, despite the fallout from a multi million-dollar corruption scandal that caused donors to freeze vital aid to the impoverished southern African nation.
Late openings and delivery of ballot papers disrupted voting in 1 percent of the more than 4 000 centres. But just 13 polling stations in Blantyre, the commercial hub, and Lilongwe, the capital, reopened yesterday — and this was delayed because of organisational difficulties.
“The time required for printing” of new ballot papers meant stations would only open after midday, according to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chief, Justice Maxon Mbendera.
He warned that security forces would be firm towards troublemakers.
“The commission in conjunction with the Malawi police service and the Malawi defence force has tightened security in all polling centres,” Mbendera said.
Long queues of people waited as voting began in Ndirande township in Blantyre under the watch of riot police.
Some 7.5 million people are eligible to vote for a president, legislators and local government councillors in the fifth democratic polls since decades of one-party rule ended in 1994.
After Tuesday’s violence, Justice Mbendera condemned in the “strongest terms the tendency of some overzealous persons to disturb the polling or tallying process”.
He warned that the commission would not “hesitate to cancel polls in any area where these acts of barbarism will occur in Wednesday’s elections”.
One foreign observer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the polls were free and fair despite significant logistical challenges, and that the violence had been spontaneous.
The London-based analyst Clive Gabay said the eventual result was still on track.
“I don’t think the irregularities will have an effect on the outcome of the vote itself,” he said.
Meanwhile, results from Tuesday tripartite election started trickling in with opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Peter Mutharika reportedly taking an early lead, while Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera coming second from about 26 percent of the tabulated 25 percent of elections results.
However, the Malawi Electoral Commission said yesterday the presidential vote results will not be made public until they are verified.
Justice Mbendera said the official results received through their vote tally centre in Blantyre had not reached 30 percent to enable MEC to make a first announcement.
“We have not yet received the results at 30 percent,” said Justice Mbendera.
“As a commission we’ll not be rushed in announcing the results,” the MEC chairperson told reporters. We ask you to be patient.”
He said the commission had nullified results in centres where some materials were burnt. —Agencies
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