Well-trained staff can lead to success of elections

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has said a well-trained staff is the foundation of free, fair and credible elections.

Commissioner Gloria Chingota said this in Liwonde, Machinga, on Tuesday during the opening of a two-day long training of constituency civic and voter education assistants from the Southern Region.

Chingota said the training would equip participants with knowledge on how to sensitise the electorate to verify their names during the verification exercise slated for March 24 to 28.

“The verification exercise is a very crucial part of an election. It gives an opportunity to the electorate to go and verify their names if indeed they got registered and accord others with problems with their identity cards.

“In a nutshell, it is the genesis of the whole election. Therefore, capacity building of the people who were tasked to carry out civic and voter education in the constituencies is of a paramount important,” said Chingota.

The commissioner said a credible election begins with a credible voters verification exercise.