Customs officials refused undisclosed agent to clear the consignment
from offcila 2009 general elections ballot papers printers Kalamazoo
Ltd of United Kingdom which was addressed to Malawi Electoral
Commission.
The clearing agent bolted after news leaked to stakeholders in the
elections and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) official Lington Belekanyama
visited the airport immediately.
Belekanyama confirmed that additional ballot papers arrived without the
knowledge of political parties and MEC officials were not present
creating further suspicions on the DPP underhand tactics to rig the
elections.
In fact what happened at around 12 noon Ethiopian airways landed at
KIA which carried a consignment of ballot paper. A private agent
wanted to clear the consignment but was stopped by MRA, Belekanyama
told Nyasa Times.
The clearing customs officials asked me casually why I am not coming
to witness the arrival of ballot papers which forced me to storm the
airport, explained the MCP official.
MRA staff said the consignment is weighing 250 kg and that it will now be cleared Wednesday morning.
Why did the Electoral Commission not tell political parties that they
had another consignment of ballot papers coming and we should witness
its arrival? wondered Belekanyama.
There is a lot of confusion, he said.
The intial 80 tonnes consignment of ballot papers arrived in the
country last week Wednesday afternoon from the United Kingdom, where
they were printed.
The plane is reported to have brought 6.4 million presidential ballot
papers with the other 6.4 million for the parliamentary polls. No
independent verification has since been made.
The country's Electoral Commission (EC) boss David Bandawe said the ballot papers were enough.
The ballot papers are enough, 6.4 million for each election, said Bandawe.
Nyasa Times
Post published in: Zimbabwe News