AFRICA/MALAWI - Malawi still waiting for results of presidential and political elections

Saturday, 22 May 2004

Lilongwe (Fides Service)- The results of presidential and political elections held on 20 May in Malawi have not yet been announced. “The counting of votes is still going on and it is not known when it will finish” local Church sources told Fides. “The vote was peaceful and orderly and there was a good turn out ” local sources told Fides.
According to local press Bingu wa Mutharika the candidate of the party in power is in the lead. “But the distance between the two leading candidates is minimum” local sources said “This could give rise to discussion over presumed electoral fraud”.
The elections were scheduled for 18 May but the opposition parties denounced to the Supreme Court irregularities in the registration of voters. The Supreme Court issued a sentence postponing the election to examine the registration of voters. The electoral commission postponed the vote for two days generating doubts with regard to the effective verification of the electors lists (see Fides 18 May 2004)
In this climate, a newspaper close to the government published the news that a group of Catholic Bishops had encouraged people to vote for Bingu wa Mutharika. The news was immediately denied byhe local Church.
“This episode was quoted by the Opposition as ulterior proof of fraud on the part of the government” local sources told Fides. The Bishops did give advice with regard to the vote but without indicating preference for any of the candidates. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/5/2004, righe 26 parole 282)


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