Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter has asked Parliament to include the media as a special group in the amendment of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Act.
In a letter addressed to the office of the Speaker of Parliament, Misa Malawi Chapter chairperson Golden Matonga said the inclusion of journalists among the special groups the amendment seeks to facilitate voter transfers on polling day will facilitate free flow of information.
He said Misa Malawi already engaged Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on the need to ensure that journalists are included on groups that can vote away from places they were registered or transferred to.
Reads the letter in part: “Journalists are deployed to different constituencies and polling stations during elections and require special recognition to cover and report on the electoral process.
“The important work and obligation of the media during elections is recognised and documented in a number of instruments.”
In an interview yesterday, Matonga said copies of the communication were also sent to the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament and the Parliamentary Committee on Media, Information and Communication to ensure that they take up the issue.
President Lazarus Chakwera approved the reconvening of Parliament on August 5 to amend the Act which restricts voting to the centre where one registered and does not allow for transfers unlike in the previous law.
Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye said he was yet to see the communication, but that if the letter has reached Parliament it will be referred to the Legal Affairs Committee for action.
On the other hand, Legal Affairs Committee chairperson Albert Mbawala did not pick up his phone when called for comment but Media, Information and Communication Committee chairperson Susan Dossi said she is also a member of the Legal Affairs Committee and will raise the issue during the meeting today when scrutinising the Bill.
She said: “Journalists really need to be considered as a special group because some will be assigned to places far away from where they registered. It is good that Misa Malawi has raised the issue and as chair of the Media, Information and Communication, we will fight for this.”
Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe described the call by MISA Malawi as valid, saying that media personnel can be placed anywhere during the elections; hence, should not be denied the right to vote.
“The call falls within what we had requested the President to act upon and within our definition of special groups, the media was included,” he said.
The Bill seeks to amend the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act (No. 10 of 2023) to provide for polling staff, representatives of candidates and political parties as well as officers from security agencies to vote at the polling stations where they are deployed.
Malawians will go to the polls on September 16 to elect President, 229 legislators and ward councillors.
