Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament will on Monday engage civil society organisations (CSOs) on the proposed amendments to the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections (PPLGE) Act ahead of deliberations in Parliament next week.
Parliament is set to meet for an emergency meeting on August 5 to debate the PPLGE Amendment Bill to address the gap which threatens to disenfranchise thousands of voters providing electoral services in the September 16 General Election.
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In an interview yesterday, Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament chairperson Albert Mbawala said the committee will also consult a number of stakeholders including Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and Ministry of Justice.
“We want to understand the importance of the amendment and the negative impact that is there without this amendment,” he said.
Among the CSOs invited to the meeting in Lilongwe include Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum (Cseif), Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) and Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation.
Cseif chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said they will make proposals on how the amendment can best cater for those who would have been affected by the gap in the law.
In a separate interview, Chreaa executive director Victor Mhango said they will use the meeting to lobby for inclusion of prisoners at risk of not voting.
Section 74 of the PPLGE Act restricts voters to cast their ballots at registration centres where they registered or transferred to.
Prior to the PPLGE, the old electoral law permitted MEC to issue transfer letters during polling day to registered voters allowing them to vote elsewhere.
Parliament was dissolved on July 23 ahead of the general election but President Lazarus Chakwera invoked Section 67(4) of the Constitution to reconvene the National Assembly.
