The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has this morning rolled out second phase of voter registration exercise in redness for the fresh presidential elections slated for 2 July 2020 despite the country registering 34 Covid-19 cases.
The second phase will run for two weeks in the ten councils which include Rumphi, Likoma, Dowa, Lilongwe District, Lilongwe City, Luchenza Municipality, Phalombe, Mulanje and Thyolo.
According to MEC Chief Elections Officer, Sam Alfandika people who are eligible to register are only those that have turned 18 and above, or will attain voting age by 11 June 2020 or those that never registered as voters during the 2019 Tripartite Elections.
Alufandika further advised eligible voters without national ID to register with National Registration Bureau (NRB) and thereafter use the slip as proof of registration to register as a voter with MEC.
“Those that have not registered for the national ID can also do so now at the District Commissioner’s office and post offices that have been designated for National Registration. Then they should bring the slip they will be given as proof of civil registration when coming to register as a voter” said Alfandika
In a related development, MEC has asked chiefs not to distort electoral information to allow more people to register for fresh presidential elections.
MEC’s Commissioner, Dr Jean Mathanga made the remarks on Sunday during an outreach meeting with chiefs in Traditional Authority (T/A) Boyidi in Thyolo district.
“Just tell your eligible subjects to go in large numbers and register. Do not cascade the message because we do not want voters to be confused.
“Your further explanations will distort the information and discourage them. At the centres, they will be assisted accordingly whether to be reissued voter certificates, verified, registered or transferred,” said Mathanga.
In the face of novel coronavirus (Covid-19), she said the commission has embraced all necessary precaution measures for its staff and public during the exercise.
In an interview, T/A Boyidi promised of accurate dissemination of the call to eligible voters in his jurisdiction.
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