BLANTYRE, May 26 (Marapost) – The Civil Society Grand Coalition for the Defence of Democracy and Good Governance on Monday expressed fears that the current state of affairs of an electoral dispute could lead to a failed election “with a huge cost to the nation if left unchecked.”
“We appeal to all stakeholders to uphold the rule of law and avoid circumvention of the democratic process,” CONGOMA chairperson Voice Mhone said in a statement.
The coalition us under the umbrella of CONGOMA, which represents over 500 local and international NGOs.
The grouping said it had raised the concerns because MEC had ordered a recount of the votes “against a background of an incomplete electoral process.”
“MEC had ordered a recount of the votes when the tallying process itself is not complete. We would like to emphasize the need for the completion of the electoral process without any undue interference,” Mhone added.
He said that they felt that the due electoral process “ought to be fully respected and given an opportunity to run its full course. We also feel that MEC ought to be given the necessary support and space to conclude this process without undue interference.”
Saying there was need to engage MEC and other key players to avoid a potentially dangerous outcome of this electoral process, he said a recount is a “serious decision that ought to be credible and backed by sufficient evidence that warrants such a course…it also needs to follow the due process of law.”–Marapost
