Malawians should enjoy their political right—EU

The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission to the country’s May 20 Tripartite Elections have called on Malawians to enjoy their political right by attending rallies and civic education meetings and voting.

Speaking in Blantyre yesterday when a team of 28 long-term observers (LTOs) left the city to their respective deployment stations across the country, deputy chief observer Tania Marques said the observers’ main duty in the districts will be to observe the affairs to do with the fast approaching elections.

“The observers are crucial to the EU’s long-term observation methodology, as they will be sending quantitative and qualitative information to the headquarters in Blantyre,” said Marques.

She said LTOs will work in teams of two, covering urban and rural areas and they will be joined by 40 short-term observers shortly before the election day, taking the total number to around 80.

The EU previously deployed election observation missions to Malawi in 2004 and in 2009, as well as an Election Follow-Up Mission in 2012, but it has hinted that this year’s election has attracted a large number of EU observers in the history of elections in the country.