Opposition political parties have raised concerns over reports of missing records in the voters’ register, urging the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to engage an independent ICT auditor ahead of the September 16 General Election.

On Friday, MEC announced that it has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the missing records in some centres and how the issue will be addressed.

UTM Party, People’s Party (PP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and Alliance for Democracy (Aford) have criticized MEC’s handling of the matter, saying it validates their concerns about electoral process transparency.

DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhito warned that some registered voters might be turned away on polling day, emphasizing the need for an independent system audit.

“This is why we have been pushing for an independent auditor. MEC has been avoiding this issue, but we will continue demanding it, even through legal means,” he said.

UTM Publicity Secretary Felix Njawala suggested that MEC’s reluctance to heed advice might have led to the missing records, while Aford Publicity Secretary Annie Maluwa urged the commission to take proactive measures to prevent similar discrepancies.

PP Secretary General Ben Chakhame called for MEC to engage political parties to address the issue transparently.

The missing records were discovered during the final phase of the voter transfer process, which ended on March 15 in eight councils.

MEC has assured the public that no registered voter will be disenfranchised, and centres will be opened next month to allow voters to inspect and verify their details.

Malawians will go to the polls on September 16 to elect a President, 229 Members of Parliament, and 509 ward councillors.