Tobacco planting affects voter registration
The ongoing seventh phase of voter registration has been affected by planting of tobacco seedlings in some centres in Lilongwe Rural.
Lilongwe district civil education officer for Lilongwe rural Daniel Malango raised this concern when he led a media tour organised by the National Initiative Civic Centre (Nice) on Saturday for the journalists to appreciate the exercise.
“Most of the prospective registrants in these registration centres are tenants in tobacco estates. Unfortunately, the voter registration has coincided with planting of tobacco seedlings in these estates. These tenants are working the whole day, hence they do not have time to go and register,” said Malango.
However, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chief elections officer Willie Kalonga said his institution is not aware of the development but he will look into the matter.
“We are not aware of that, but we know that can happen. All I can say is that MEC is appealing to not only estate owners, but also all employers in the country to let their employees register,” said Kalonga.
The seventh phase of voter registration started on Friday November 1 and it will end on 14 November. In many centres of Lilongwe Rural, the registration started on a higher note with Likuni Girls Primary School Registration Centre registering 397 people on the first day Njerwa Primary School Registration Centre registered 212 people on same day.
