Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has warned parents to refrain from falsifying the age of their children to enable them to register in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
MEC chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi made the sentiments on Friday in reaction to video clips and images that went viral on social media, claiming minors are registering to vote in the polls next year.
He warned that fraudulently obtaining registration as a voter is an offence and that anyone discovered will be de-registered.
He said: “Any person who obtains voter registration by giving false information, aids another person to obtain voter registration by giving false information, or registers another person, knowing that that person is not eligible for voter registration shall be liable to prosecution”.
In the viral clips and images, minors are allegedly registering to vote in next year’s polls as a ploy to rig the election.
Mpesi, however, said MECs voter registration is designed to automatically verify a registrant’s age based on the date of birth provided on the national identity (ID), or a system-generated receipt with a unique number issued by the National Registration Bureau (NRB).
He said the voter registration system automatically rejects registration of any individual whose civil registration details show that they are not, or will not have attained the voting age of 18 by polling day.
“Where a registrant presents a national ID card or system-generated receipt with a unique ID number duly issued by the NRB, that shows they have attained the eligibility age, the commission has an obligation to register them as voters, unless fraud is otherwise proved,” he said.
Mpesi has since pleaded with Malawians to provide MEC with evidence suggesting that a registrant is attempting to, or has fraudulently registered by, among others, falsifying their age.
He said complainants must present it to the particular voter registration centre where registration is taking place.
MEC will, therefore, review the complaint together with the provided evidence and hear both sides before making any decision.
On June 5 2024, NRB Principal Secretary Mphatso Sambo told journalists in Lilongwe that no underage person has been issued with a national ID amid allegations of minors’ registrations purportedly to influence next year’s general elections.
He said: “It is important to note that records of individuals registered that time were flagged and NRB is currently diligently reviewing and removing these flagged records on a case-by-case basis, subjecting supposed minors to additional interviews and vetting.”
MEC will hold general elections on September 16 2025 where Malawians will elect their preferred president, members of Parliament and councillors.
