To the Malawi Electoral Commission, I Say…

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The demonization of Smartmatic, a voting and election management system software company hired by the Malawi Electoral Commission, is a result of both the opposition and some private media’s harangue.

It’s an agenda they have masterfully set by citing how the company and its system fumbled in other countries. So, by repeatedly focusing on its imperfections, it has ratcheted up mistrust in the system by some Malawians.


Now, with chronic inability to verify the news they consume, some Malawians, particularly those who gravitate towards the opposition, are convinced the system is bent on rigging the September 16 General Elections.


That’s the perception out there and it’s spreading wildly.


Truth be told, indeed Smartmatic has credibility issues. However, it must be noted that every system software is vulnerable.


What matters most, however, is the threat level or magnitude of its susceptibility.


In this case, therefore, the Malawi Electoral Commission must inspire confidence in the election stakeholders, including opposition parties, by guaranteeing the integrity of the system and the election.


It must explain how the system was procured. Why Smartmatic of all other voting and election management system software companies. Explain why the names of the registered voters vanished. How they recovered.


Failure to answer these somewhat simple but necessary questions; gives some credibility to the narrative the opposition is parroting.


Because if these questions aren’t answered, the opposition will use this as an excuse should they lose the election.


Morality teaches us that if you have nothing to hide, there’s nothing to fear. So, MEC, allow independent investigators to audit the election management system.


Don’t give the opposition a free pass to churn out narratives that may be founded on lies. Because a lie told often enough becomes the truth.


Shame them by being accountable and transparent. To you, the Malawi Electoral Commission, that’s what I say.

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