Maravi

Banda should allow PVT - Magande

Banda should allow PVT - Magande
By Patson Chilemba
Wed 23 Mar. 2011, 04:01 CAT

RUPIAH Banda is reducing confidence in the electoral process over his utterances on the parallel vote tabulation (PVT), says Ng'andu Magande.

Commenting on President Banda's threats to criminalise those who want to conduct the PVT during this year's general election, Magande said President Banda Banda should give the people confidence that the election results would be credible by allowing PVT.

“I think it's just causing lack of confidence in the way they want to conduct the elections. He is causing lack of confidence in the whole system,” he said.

Magande said those who were advocating for PVT were not anarchists.

On President Banda's statement that he would call international election observers to show that he was committed to conducting a free and fair election, Magande wondered what the observers would observe since they would not be allowed to tabulate the results.

“So I don't understand what he wants the observers to do, and the ECZ are saying 'only our figures'. It is not enough to bring observers. What is important is what do you actually do to give the people the confidence. I thought the point of pinning these things election results on the wall is publicising. So where is the criminality there?” Magande asked.

Magande said he was puzzled with the arguments coming from government on why PVT should not be enforced by the civil society organisations which had been monitoring elections in the country.

“Like I said to somebody 'can you imagine that I am going to be arrested as Magande at the end of the elections this year because I was tabulating elections, and I end up being a criminal'? Let the government just find a way of improving the system,” he said.

President Banda recently said it was criminal to conduct PVT and those who would go ahead to implement it would be arrested.

But the PF and other civil society organisations have vowed to go ahead with the process because there was nothing criminal in conducting PVT.

Labels: NG'ANDU MAGANDE, VOTERIGGING

posted by MrK @ 4:49 AM