The Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) says it has recruited 386 monitors in preparation to the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Mesn national coordinator Andrew Kachaso said this in an interview on Tuesday at the start of a two-day training workshop for monitors on Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) and violence against women in elections.
He said it is important that, as a major stakeholder in electoral activities, Mesn undertakes the role of monitoring for smooth electoral activities leading up to the elections; hence, the monitors will play a watchdog role.
Said Kachaso: “As Mesn, we find it quite befitting that we should undertake the monitoring aspect as a stakeholder interested in electoral activities. At the end of the trainings, we will equip these monitors to be able to avert challenges during the whole electoral cycle.”
He said the body aims to double the number of monitors in due course.
In a separate interview, one of the monitors from Liwonde-Machinga-Likwenu Constituency Shamim Chiosa said the training will enlighten them on how best they can play their monitoring role during the electoral period.
Her sentiments were echoed by another monitor from Machinga East Constituency, Sumayyah Lehman, who said they will put into use the skills they will acquire.
In their long-term observation report (LTO) on monitoring violence against women in elections and phase five of the BVR, Mesn points out that political parties must promote gender sensitiveness to women during primary elections, among other initiatives.
