Malawi’s electoral body printing ballots in Dubai
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has confirmed in the statement that they have identified a security printer in United Arab Emirates to be used in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Nyasa Times reported recently that that one governing party official was engaging a Dubai-based firm to print the presidential ballot papers.
MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa said in a media statement that the ballot papers are being printed at Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC which is located at
Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC Masafi Compound, (Behind Fairmont Hotel – Shaikh Zayed Road) 2nd December Street, Satwa, PO Box 5613, Dubai United Arab Emirates
“The ballot paper printing exercise is expected run from 1st to 30 April, 2019,” reads the sgtatement.
According to Mwafulirwa, MEC is advising all political parties and candidates that wish to monitor the printing process to get accreditation from the Chief Elections Officer “so that they can begranted access into the printing premises.”
There has been a trend of printing ballot papers outside the continent at huge costs.
Critics argue that the large sums of money used in the printing of the ballot papers does not translate to free, fair and credible elections. There are always complains that elections are rigged and after four or five years, a repeat process takes place with more money spent on sustaining a democracy that doesn’t reflect in the lives of the citizens.
Critics say the need to involve local printers in the process of printing ballot papers is not necessarily a panacea to solving electoral problems.
They argue that in a continent where the current mantra is “African problems, African solutions,” the continuous printing of ballot papers outside the continent not only supports the economy of countries abroad, but it mocks Africans.
Meanwhile, the Commission has announced that it will on Friday take the launch of official campaign period to Mzuzu.
MEC Chief Elections Officer Sam Alfandika said the launch will be held at Katoto Secondary School from 8am to noon and will be held under the theme ‘Consolidating Malawi’s Democracy throught he ballot.’
In a statement, Alfandika said: “During the launch, the commission will brief delegates on the state of preparedness for the elections.
The Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) is also expected to make presentations at the launch on regulation of handouts.
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FYI: – A TENDER FOR THE PRINTING OF BALLOT PAPERS WAS ISSUED ON THE 6TH OCTOBER 2018. THERE WERE 13 TENDERS SUBMITTED. AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE TENDERS WHERE THE PRICES WERE RECORDED BY THOSE PRESENT – AL GHURAIR WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE BY FAR. OTHER SOUTH AFRICAN PRINTING COMPANIES HAVE FAR MORE EXPERIENCE AND WERE ON AVERAGE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE. WELL EXPERIENCED SOUTH AFRICAN COMPANIES WERE BETWEEN 41% AND MORE THAN 59% LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THE AL GHURAIR PRICE. IN ADDITION SOUTH AFRICAN PRINTING COMPANIES COULD ROAD FREIGHT THE BALLOT FORMS WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD AND THIS WOULD… Read more »
Lets wait and see
Now this is second time for Nyasa Times to inform us that a governing party official was responsible for engaging a Dubai-based firm to print the presidential ballot papers. Mr Alufandika, why did MEC engage a governing party official and not your procurement section/specialists?
I really don’t support that development. Do you want to tell me that there’s no single printing firm in Africa that can take up that job? Come on guys, why Dubai when we all know Chilima visited the country few months ago? This is nonsense.
Kkkkkkk who is to blame here? Chilima by visiting Dubai, MEC or DPP official who engaged the firm to print the ballots ?
My guess is your guess I think, it’s your Diphiphi who directed mec to Dubai.