MALAWI: Smartmatic Machines Under Fire, MP Esther Jolobala Criticizes Voter Registry Issues

By Smile Hamilton, Malawi 

Esther Jolobala, Member of Parliament for Machinga East and representative of the United Democratic Front, has expressed concerns over the missing names in the voter registry, attributing the issue to the failure of Smartmatic machines used by the Malawi Electoral Commission.

Her statement comes after Leader of Opposition George Chaponda questioned the reliability of the voting process, given the impending elections. Chaponda’s concerns centered around the trustworthiness of the electoral process, with only a few months left before the elections.

However, Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo has assured that the missing names will be recovered and the issue will be resolved. He attempted to alleviate concerns, stating that the necessary measures will be taken to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

The controversy surrounding the Smartmatic machines has been ongoing, with the opposition strongly opposing the Malawi Electoral Commission’s decision to hire Smartmatic International to provide software and equipment for the elections. The opposition has raised concerns about the potential for fraud and the reliability of the machines.