Ziyaye urges Catholics to register to vote

Archbishop Tarcizius Ziyaye of the Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Lilongwe has encouraged the church’s faithful to register during phase three of voter registration covering Lilongwe District to vote in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

Ziyaye made the call on Saturday at St Patrick’s Parish in Lilongwe’s Area 18 when he officially launched Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) for the archdiocese.

He said all eligible voters should seize the opportunity to register and stand a chance to take part in the elections.

Said the archbishop: “Every Malawian, regardless of religion, race or tribe, who has attained 18 years of age, has the right to register and vote in any election in the country. You can only exercise your democratic right of voting by first registering during this period to be able to vote in the forthcoming elections.”

Ziyaye said the pastoral letter Catholic bishops issued earlier this year provides insights on how the electorates should scrutinise their leaders and make informed decisions on who to vote for.

He said the pastoral letter only conveys God’s message for the political leadership and people to see how social challenges the country is facing could be addressed.

“The Church does not encourage its members to vote for a particular individual or party, but it only helps in encouraging its members to be keen in choosing political leadership which is capable of changing their living standards,” Ziyaye said.

He said church members have a role of ensuring that they take part in the sharpening of the country’s political direction.

In his remarks, CMO chairperson for the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Ignatius Chadwala, gave his organisation’s commitment to ensuring that its membership is fully involved in all church and national development programmes.

He said it was pleasing to note that the membership of CMO in the archdiocese comprises people of different career backgrounds which, he said, is crucial to the growth of the church.