Embattled Malawi poll chief defends annulled vote

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:03 pm

Malawi’s electoral commission head, Jane Ansah, has admitted using tippex correction fluid on ballot tally sheets in the now annulled 2019 election, but claimed there is “no evidence” to suggest that it favored any particular candidate.

The elections chief was speaking before a special parliamentary committee after the court ordered for an investigation into the conduct of the electoral commission, after demanding a fresh election within 150 days.

Jane Ansah told the committee: “On the materials that we sent we indeed did not include Tippex, and even during training we told the trainees that Tippex was not allowed.

“There is no evidence to show that the corrections using Tippex were favoring any particular candidate,” she stressed.

Malawi’s Constitutional Court overturned President Peter Mutharika’s victory citing irregularities in the election.

The court ordered a fresh exercise to held not later than May. Malawi’s parliament is re-examining the competencies of the electoral commissioners.