The Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) has applauded the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) for its decision to allow the conduct of Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) in 2014 tripartite elections. The electoral body’s chairperson Justice Maxon Mbendera made the announcement at a highly consultative meeting with political parties and all electoral stakeholders held at Cross Roads Hotel in Lilongwe on June 28, 2013. The decision, according Mesn, is a right direction in enhancing accountability and credibility of election results.
“In 2009 general elections, MESN conducted a PVT and currently MESN has plans to conduct another Parallel Vote Tally for 2014 tripartite elections. Parallel Vote Tally is an advanced and proven election monitoring methodology that allows non-partisan citizen observers to systematically assess the quality of opening, voting, closing and counting processes.
“PVT will independently validate the official election and at the same tie enhance credibility of the results,” says Mesn Board Chair, Steve Duwa.
Mesn is a registered network of civil society organizations in Malawi whose mission is to strengthen genuine democratic electoral processes and encourage citizen participation in democratic governance through civic and voter education, non-partisan election monitoring, research and documentation, electoral reform advocacy and capacity building in democracy, elections and governance in the country.
