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Election indelible ink, thumbprint pads in today

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will today take delivery of a consignment of indelible link and thumbprint pads ahead of the court-ordered fresh presidential election tentatively set for June 23.

MEC chief elections officer Sam Alfandika said the consignment will arrive through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe this afternoon.

Alfandika: It will arrive through KIA

Reads the statement: “MEC is informing all political parties, candidates and all electoral stakeholders that it will receive a consignment of thumbprint pads and indelible ink on 3rd June, 2020 at Kamuzu International Airport through Ethiopian Airlines flight number ET3877 at 17.30hours.

“After receipt at the airport, the indelible ink and thumbprint pads will be taken for storage at MEC warehouses in Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Blantyre.”

The electoral body has also further advised contesting political parties to deploy two representatives to witness the occasion. The representatives will be required to first get accreditation from MEC.

There is uncertainty on the election date as MEC, which initially set the fresh presidential election for July 2, indicated that proceeding with the planned date would violate the 150 days prescribed by the Constitutional Court on February 3. The 150 days expire on July 3.

On May 8, a seven-member panel of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal led by Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda upheld the Constitutional Court judgement.

Efforts by Parliament in February to set May 19 2020 as the date for the fresh election and extend to six years the tenure for members of Parliament and ward councillors through two Electoral Reforms Bills proved futile after President Peter Mutharika refused to sign the amendments into law.

Parliament is scheduled to meet from this Friday to July 24 to, among others, pass the 2020/21 National Budget and fix the fresh presidential election date.

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