Extend voter registration period, University of Malawi’s analyst urges MEC
University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College political scientist Ernest Thindwa has pleaded with the Malawi Electoral Commission(EC) imploring it to extend the just ended registration exercise in the phase one.
Thindwa in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times warned against failure to ensure that everyone is given an opportunity to register for the 2019 Tripartite elections.
Low turn up for the registration of voters for the forthcoming tripartite elections has hit Kasungu, Dedza and Salima raising fears that the main opposition, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) might lose out in the region touted as its stronghold.
The development prompted MCP president Lazarus Chakwera to visit some centres in Dedza to encourage people to register if they are to vote next year.
Chakwera visited Mganga, Chimpudzu and Mankhamba registration centres amid concerns of the low turn out.
Thindwa said: “It is important for MEC to ensure that the registration process is deemed to be credible and acceptable to all stakeholders. Short of that it is a recipe for a disastrous and violent conflict riddled electoral process.”
He said extending the registration period in affected areas is a sensible choice even if it means spending a little more resources for its worth and less costly when compared to the potential violence which may ensure when some sections of society perceive the electoral process and registration in particular as disadvantaging some citizens and certain political interests.
“MEC need to make reference to their vision and mission statements for guidance on critical decision. At no point so such statement give room for disfranchising any eligible individual for whatever reason. Purely operational issues over which MEC has control can not be valid reasons for the body to deny any Malawian of his/her entitlement to exercise democratic right like voting.”
He said the survival of democracy as our chosen form of political governance is largely dependent on citizen support for the system.
“Voting by the masses is the most decisive exercise in support of democracy. Low registration and consequently low voter turn up is a clear indication of the collapse of democracy, a situation we should guard against,” said Thindwa.
He’s prayed the MEC to consider giving some days window for a mop up with enough notification so those who were unable to register could be given the chance to do so.
However, MEC Chairperson, Jane Ansah has been saying that the electoral body cannot extend the exercise.
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Gthe Malawi Human Rights commission where are you in these times? We need you more than ever before. Show us that you are fed on our tax payers money
MEC should listen to the Voice of Reason and extend the exercise. How much have they invested in Civic Education. How many people in the Villages know that Chamzika sichovotera but you have to register to vote? What about the challenges of gensets running out of fuel,equipment breaking down?I agree with those that say MEC should have sample d one district in each Region given the Changes and come up with proper strategies after analysing the challenges. Their duty is to make sure that we have a Free and Fair Election Process!
Kaliwo please get and injunction from the courts
MEC should have started registration one district in the north,one in the centre and one in the south. This is pure rigging. You will see the president going from district to district once the exercise goes to the Lomwe Belt. Pitala must go. He is a crook just like Bakili.
Mr heavy-duty, kulibeko ma lecture amene amaphunzitsa ku college koma ma lecturer,,,,,umbili ma cadet,,,,
MEC ikuchita mbaliyake. Nanga mpaka MEC ipange hayala apolisi ndi MDF kuti akaumilize onse amene sakufuna kulembetsa kuti akalembetse? Sizoona. Where are the party presidents, MPs, shadow MPs, Councillors, Shadow Councillors. Timamvanso kuti kuli ma governer, chairpersons a district, consistituence, maeliya ndi mabulanchi ndi ntchito yao kuonetsetsa kuti mamembala ndi anthu onse akulembetsa. Komanso mafumu, ampingo, alangizi ndi aphunzitsi. Ndikubwelezanso MEC ikugwira ntchito yotamandika koma anthu ndiokwiya ndi zimene akuchita andaleo komanso CSOS. Panopa ali zii koma pa 22 may 2019 ndiye adzayambe wewe! wewe! wewe! atibela.Kkkkkkkkkkkk. Chakwera wapereka chitsanzo chabwino ndipo sizingadabwitse kumva kuti madela amene anapita iyeyo alembetsa… Read more »
Kodi mkulu uyu abale, amaphunzitsa nthawi yanji? All the time amakhala pa ma radio as a political commentator, ma assignments amachonga nthawi yanji. Ma Lecture anzako ali buzy ndi maliseche inde ena amati ma research, koma iwe yako ndi commentary basi, wasting poor people’s taxes inform of salary you get. Aaaah iwenso you are a complete shame to our universities. No wonder our universities are ranked so low in the world because of this tendency of deviating from your business to political commentator. I suggest they fire you. Shame on you.
Ndipo nkhope imeneyo akuchita kuwonekeratu kuti ndi wa dull! No brains.
Haaahaaa I don’t like his frequent comments also…koma zoti he is dull just shows you haven’t attended his classes! further to that, the face does not always depict brain content! check the heavy faces of Dr. George Chaponda, Dr. Goodall Gondwe, APM, Dr. Ken Zikhale, and then there is this pale voiced Dr. Jean Kalirani kkkkkkk despite all these physical deficits, these guys are brainy
Trying to seek relavance in today’s politics which he doesn’t fit.
Truth be told, central region yatopa ndi kubeledwa!! Ngati mukukomedwa ndi kubela kwa ambuyanu mumaganiza kuti mupitiliza kupondeleza anthu aku Central ndi North, mukhale pheeeeeeeeeeeee muona chomwe chinameta mpala nkhanga 2019. Those like Thindwa who have the brains to foresee have told you, and instead of getting the message you are getting the picture of the person!! Tiye nazoni muona Malawi ikuyaka motooooooooooooo buuuuuuuuuuu mu 2019!! Ansaaaaaaa wanuyo mumuuze mudzaona mukulamula kwanu komweko!! Zimene akukuuzani Thindwazo sinjerengo zamkutu zanuzooooooooooooo! Anthu akudziwa kuti makobili akulowani m’mutu ndipo kumvuta mkomvuta, komano nawonsotu mutati mupite midzi ya ku central mukamva kuti zachamba zanuzo… Read more »