By-elections voter registration ends today
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will wind up voter registration and verification of the voters’ roll today in all the areas earmarked for by-elections in some parts of the country.
The exercise ends at 4pm and the commission has since urged all eligible persons who have not registered or verified their names and are from the areas where the by-elections will take place to present themselves at their respective centres before the closing time.
“There will be no extension of the exercise, but countries will not close until the last person to be in the queue before closing time has registered.
Eligible registrants are those who are 18 years and above or will attain the voting age by the polling day,” reads the statement in part.
MEC is also reminding all stakeholders that in the by-elections, it will not accept registrants or transfers from outside the constituency or wards where the by-elections will take place.
“All persons who registered in the May 2014 Tripartite Elections, whether they voted or not, are requested to inspect their details in the voters’ roll at the centre where they registered,” it reads.
The statement further said registered voters who lost their certificates should go to the centre where they registered to get a duplicate certificate that will enable them to vote.
MEC is expected to hold by-elections in Lilongwe Nsozi North Constituency, Mayani North Ward in Dedza, Lilongwe City South East Constituency, Mtsiliza Ward in Lilongwe, Ndirande Makata Ward in Blantyre and Nsanje Lalanje Constituency.
In a statement signed by the chief elections officer Harris Potani, MEC has also urged political parties and aspirants to get nomination papers from the Constituency/Ward Returning Offices and council headquarters.
According to the statement, aspirants are encouraged to take their filled nomination papers for pre-inspection on September 7, 2017 at their Constituency/Ward Returning Office while actual presentation of the papers will take place on 8th September 2017.
Last month, MEC announced that it will hold by-elections in the three constituencies and three wards on October 17 after it had failed to conduct the elections on June 6 this year citing financial hiccups.
According to MEC chairperson Jane Ansah, in this election, the commission will implement a new vote tallying proposal as proposed in the electoral reforms during the by-elections.
The new elections results management system requires writing both in figures and in words to check against manipulation.
By-elections in Lilongwe City South East follow a Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal order for a rerun after noting that there were irregularities in the parliamentary race on May 20 2014 whereas in the other five areas the vacancies were created following the death of office holders.
