National News

MEC changes registration dates for the North

Eligible voters registering during the second phase of the exercise
Eligible voters registering during the second phase of the exercise

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has disclosed that the 2014 Tripartite Elections voter registration in the North will be conducted earlier than planned to avoid coinciding with the rainy season.

Initially, the exercise was supposed to start in December and end in January. But it has been shifted to October 15 for Chitipa District then Karonga District and Mzimba South-East Constituency on November 1-14.

Between November 18 and December 1, registration will be conducted in Rumphi, part of Mzimba and Nkhata Bay districts. Mzuzu City will have the last phase between December 5 and 18.

MEC chief elections officer Willie Kalonga confirmed the change with The Nation in an interview yesterday.

Kalonga said some stakeholders in the region requested the shifting of dates since most places are hard to reach, especially during the rainy season.

“We had to consider that because many people may not register during such months and our machines might not work properly with the rains,” he said.

Kalonga said the commission is committed to ensure that problems experienced in previous phases are not encountered in the North.

“We cannot guarantee that there will be no problems. But whenever they occur, we will try our best to solve them,” he said.

Currently, the exercise is in a fifth phase which will finish today.

The phase started on September 28 in Mangochi, Mangochi, Ntcheu, Dedza South, North and East constituencies.

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