Justice Kachale (middle) Commissioner Arthur Nanthuru at Mpatsa Primary School centre
* As of now 48% of the voters have already gone to their centres to verify their names
* This shows that people are ready to cast their votes on March 30
By Emmie Banda & Elijah Phompho, MEC Stringers
As registration and verification exercise in readiness for the forth coming by-elections continues, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale, SC has urged politicians to conduct politics of issues not personalities.
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Justice Kachale said this when he visited centres in Nsanje Central and North constituencies, saying the contestants should not “encourage violence or anything that will undermine the democrat process of voting “.
He also said the contestants should “respect democrat choices of our people and to only engage them on objective issues”.
He added that so far the verification process is going on well as there will be no new registrants in the two consitituencies since it is a re-run.
“As of now 48% of the voters have already gone to their centres to verify their names and this shows that people are ready to cast their votes on March 30th and by the grace of God we are going to deliver credible election,” he said.
Appraising the voter registration exercise
As of Monday, over 900 registered voters at Mguda centre which has 1,486 registrants having already verified their names.
Contestants for Nsanje Central consitituency are Esmy Hubertb Bande of DEPECO; Francis Lazaro Kasaila of Democrat Progressive Party (DPP); Laston Saidi Katole of United Democrat Front (UDF); Kafandikhale Mandevana of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Mzeru Mybeck of UTM.
While Patrick Bande (independent); DPP’s Esther Mcheka Chilenje; Enock Masautso Chizuzu (MCP) and Kennedy Jailosi (UTM) are contesting for Nsanje North constituency.
Coronavirus alert
Nsanje Central and North constituencies will hold by-election after court ruled that there were some irregularities in the previous elections.
After visiting the polling centers, Justice Kachale also visited the nerve centre at Mpatsa Teachers Development Centre as well as Chikhwawa East constituency where he said MEC is optimistic of having a higher voter turn out.
This, he said, is despite some areas registering low turn out in the ongoing voters verification and registration exercise in which to 70% of voters are expected to turn out for the by-elections.
Coronavirus alert
He expressed satisfaction with the verification exercise in registration centers of Mapelera Nkhathe Mphimbi, Nangali, Mpama and Nyangu where it was disclosed that close to 40% of voters had already verified their names.
He called on people in all areas to register and verify their names to ensure that they do not miss out on the voting day.
“This window provides an opportunity for all prospective voters to make sure that their names are registerd at a particular center.
“It affords them an opportunity for them to ensure that if their were ommitted or the names mispelled in any way, should be rectified so that they should not be turned away on the voting day once these anormalies are found,” he said after so far inspecting seven out of 18 registration centers in Chikwawa East constituency.
Coronavirus alert
National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) district education officer, Josephy Chamambala said his organization has intensified awareness campaign for people to take part in the upcoming by-elections, which also fell vacant after the court nulified the Parliamentary seats due to wide spread illeguralities.
The by-elections shall also be held in Nthisi North, Zomba Changalume, Lilongwe Msinja South, Karonga North West constituencies and Livirivi ward in Balaka and Chitakale ward in Mulanje where representatives for these areas passed away.
