MEC ready if electoral reforms considered
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has said should government consider taking back Electoral Reforms Bills back to Parliament before June, it can still implement the reforms during the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
MEC commissioner Reverend Clifford Baloyi and newly appointed chief executive officer (CEO) Sammy Alfandika said this yesterday during a visit to Nation Publications Limited (NPL) in Blantyre.
The two said should Parliament debate and adopt the bills, the commission is ready to implement them next year because everything was already taken care of.
“We do scenario planning to avoid being caught unawares so if the country adopts the reforms tomorrow, we are ready because our duty is to implement… We prepared for such eventualities,” said Alfandika.
On his part, Baloyi also said MEC was ready to put into practice the system if adopted.
“Should Parliament approve, say the 50+1 electoral system, MEC already made arrangements in the budget. So it means we are ready for anything,” he said.
But Baloyi indicated MEC would not have challenges if that could be done six months before 2019 otherwise “it would be very difficult if it is after June this year.”
During the last meeting, government tabled five of the six reforms bills. Ironically, the bills were all shot down by government legislators and a few from the opposition.
