Political parties have differed on Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) decision on Friday to conduct a supplementary voter registration for those who failed to register due to lack of a national identity (ID) card.
The Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act prescribes the national ID issued by the National Registration Bureau (NRB) as the sole form of identification for an individual to register as a voter.
But in separate interviews yesterday, some political parties asked MEC to open the exercise to all while others said the commission should stick to its initial plan.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said they welcomed MEC’s decision.
Said DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba: “The DPP firmly stands behind the decision to limit the repeat phases for only those who were unable to register due to unavailability of NRB officers at MEC centres and those that registered, but did not receive their numbers.
“However, we cannot ignore the fact that there were numerous individuals that were turned away and denied their right to register. This was due to the closure of registration at 4pm on the final day.”
He said this will not only promote inclusivity, but uphold the integrity of the September 16 2025 General Elections.
In the first phase of the supplementary voter registration, MEC will target only eligible voters that registered or would have registered with NRB from October 21 2024 when the voter registration exercise started.
For the second and third phases, MEC will target eligible voters who presented themselves at voter registration centres and applied for civil registration with NRB, but were not provided with an ID number, as such, did not register.
UTM Party spokesperson Felix Njawala said MEC has only addressed one flaw yet the issue of inadequate civic education during the first phase remains unresolved.
He argued that lack of a robust civic education meant citizens were unaware about the registration process, which excluded a significant population.
Njawala further argued that such an oversight undermines inclusivity and fairness.
“To rectify this, the ideal solution would be to reopen phase one for all, ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to participate. Only through comprehensive civic education and equal access can we uphold transparency and inclusiveness,” he said.
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) spokesperson Annie Maluwa said the party does not agree with MEC for limiting the exercise only to those that failed to register due to the absence of a national ID.
She argued: “There are some people who were turned away at registration centres because MEC could not go beyond 4pm. What happens to those? So, as a party, we would appreciate it if the exercise was open for everyone”.
While United Democratic Front (UDF) secretary general Genarino Lemani was unavailable, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda said the party welcomed MECs decision.
But he cautioned MEC to stick to its initial plan on who it targets in the supplementary voter registration exercise.
“MEC needs to safeguard voter registration by sticking to its communication. Legally voter registration is supposed to be for 14 days, but we understand this is in respect to a court ruling,”he said.
But Chimwendo Banda said there is a need for civic education to ensure more people understand the electoral process.
In accommodating eligible voters to register in the supplementary voter registration exercise, MEC is complying with an October 25 2024 High Court of Malawi ruling by Judge Mandala Mambulasa compelling the commission to register every eligible voter.
MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa on Friday said unlike the first phase of the supplementary voter registration, there will be no fresh civil registration in the second and third phases.
“However, NRB staff will be present to provide identification and verification services for applicants that will have challenges with their proof of national registration”.
