Some 1,500 ballot boxes from May’s disputed election in Malawi have been destroyed in an unexplained fire. It comes amid an opposition demand for a recount of voting papers for a parliamentary seat in a constituency in the capital, Lilongwe. The High Court was set to hear arguments about the case on Thursday. In May, it overruled an attempt by former President Joyce Banda to annul the presidential vote, which she said was marred by rigging. Peter Mutharika, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was declared the winner, taking 36.4% of the presidential vote.
International election observers declared the polls to be generally free and fair. The BBC’s Raphael Tenthani in Blantyre says this surprised many Malawians who felt there had been a number of irregularities.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) itself had admitted as much and asked for a 30-day extension to declare the results so that a recount could be carried out.
Full Article: BBC News – Malawi ballots destroyed in fire.