Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) have announced a supplementary voter registration exercise to rectify significant gaps from the initial process ahead of the 2025 General Elections.
Speaking at a joint press briefing in Lilongwe yesterday, MEC chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja said the move is driven by a High Court ruling on October 25 2024, aiming to ensure that all eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process.
“This is not an extension of the voter registration exercise, but a targeted intervention to address the challenges highlighted by the court order,” she said.
According to Mtalimanja, the supplementary registration addresses two major issues: eligible voters who lacked access to NRB services during Phase 1 and those in Phases 2 and 3 who applied for national IDs but could not register due to delays in receiving their unique identification numbers.
“We are committed to ensuring that every eligible Malawian has the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” she said.
The NRB will conduct a supplementary civil registration from 29 December 2024 to January 4 2025 in the 14 Phase 1 councils.
This will be followed by voter registration in Phase 3 councils from January 10 to 14 2025, Phase 2 councils from January 20 to 24 2025, and Phase 1 councils from January 30 to February 3 2025.
However, the MEC chairperson acknowledged logistical challenges of processing applications within the NRB’s tight 24-hour window for unique ID issuance.
As part of the process, MEC has called on political parties to monitor registration centres to enhance credibility.
“We value the role of political parties in ensuring transparency of this exercise,” said Mtalimanja, urging stakeholders to fully participate.
She added: “Let us all cooperate to strengthen our democracy and protect the integrity of the electoral process.”
In an earlier interview, Vice-President Michael Usi said it was not fair to leave out people when there were clear logistical problems that kept them from registering during the registration period.
Representatives of political parties, including the opposition Democratic Progressive Party and United Democratic Front as well as civil society organisations also called for an extension of the exercise.
