MEC registers 595 000 in first phase
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it registered 595 602 voters in the first phase of the voter registration exercise which covered two constituencies in Blantyre City and whole districts of Mwanza, Neno, Chikhwawa and Nsanje.
MEC has described the exercise as successful although it was slow and saw some eligible voters being turned away or being told to register the next day, a situation that frustrated many.
In a statement issued yesterday, MEC chairperson Maxon Mbendera, who is also a Supreme Court of Appeal Judge, said the 595 602 registered voters for the whole of phase one registered a 15.45 percent increaseover the previous election’s registration exercise.
In Blantyre Kabula and Blantyre City West constituencies there were 107 473 registered voters while Mwanza registered 54 673 voters. Neno, Chikhwawa and Nsanje registered 61 116, 247 128 and 125 212 voters respectively.
Said Mbendera: “There were isolated cases of challenges which were encountered like equipment failure but the commission did come up with corrective measures which have contributed to the success of phase one.
“The commission had placed rapid response teams of the councils to attend to the problems whenever they were reported.”
Meanwhile, MEC has informed all staff involved in the registration exercise that it is addressing issues of a possibility upward adjustment of the honoraria.
Mbendera said when a decision is made, the commission will use appropriate channels to communicate to the registration staff conducting the registration exercise.
There was reported discontent among registration staff over the issue of honoraria and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) warned that the discontent would frustrate the hired staff.
The second phase of voter registration will start Thursday and run up to August 21 2013.
This phase covers all the remaining constituencies in Blantyre City, all the constituencies in Blantyre Rural and Chiradzulu District and Thyolo North Constituency.
