By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least eight persons have been taken into custody in connection with alleged electoral fraud in Malawi, as the country waits for outcome of the Tuesday’s general election.
Inspector General of police, Merlyne Yolamu said the suspects, who were working as data entry clerks, had been trying to manipulate the figures.
In the country’s 2019 election, widespread controversy was recorded when the highest court annulled then President Peter Mutharika’s victory, citing irregularities.
Official tallies so far indicate that Mutharika who is seeking a return to power is leading the race against the incumbent President, Lazarus Chakwera.
Malawi’s electoral commission is on high alert to avoid a repeat of the 2019 annulment.
More results from the country’s 36 districts are expected to be released at the weekend.
To be declared the winner, a candidate needs to secure more than 50% of the vote, or a run-off is held.
In the meantime, Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party said it had lodged a complaint with the electoral commission, claiming to have discovered irregularities in the count.
Officials did not specify what those irregularities were.
Another party, the United Democratic Front, has also announced that it has filed a formal complaint alleging “serious irregularities in multiple tallying centres”.
Its presidential candidate, Atupele Muluzi, did not provide evidence at a press conference on Saturday, but said that it had been sent to the electoral commission.
The commission is expected to announce the outcome of the election only after all votes have been tallied and verified in order to avoid the possibility of the final result being challenged.
According to law, the electoral commission has until the end of Wednesday to announce the final tallies.
In 2019, when Mutharika’s victory was annulled, a court said there had been widespread tampering, including the use of Tipp-Ex correction fluid on results sheets.
Chakwera, 70, won the re-run by a wide margin, propelling him to the presidency.
Mutharika, 85, is hoping to regain office in what would be a dramatic political comeback.
