Malawi’s election has been marred by chaos with President Joyce Banda asking for the vote to be nullified and another election held in 90 days, but the country’s High Court has rejected her directive and instead asked for a recount.

BBC reported Banda had saying that the vote had been marred by rigging, multiple voting and computer-hacking. However, the head of the electoral commission said the president did not have the power to annul the vote. The commission said that despite problems involving the electronic transmission system, the poll remained valid and vote-counting would go on.

“Exercising power that you don’t have means it has no effect,” Edge Kanyogolo, a law professor in Malawi told Al Jazeera. “In an election like this where a lot of things are happening I think every stakeholder/competitor will try to look at the possibilities.”

“In one word, shambolic. As a Malawian I am affronted, I’m embarrassed and indeed I’m deeply offended by the travesty that has gone on in the name of an election,” Rafiq Hajat, a political analyst said.