Malawi fresh elections in July may postpone: MEC says coronavirus threat to holding polls

Pollster, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says coronavirus remains a great threat to the holding of the Constitutional Court sanctioned presidential election in July.

Commissioner Moffat Banda has said this on Tuesday in Kasungu on the sidelines of training for civic educators for the forthcoming polls.

Banda said MEC continues to monitor the trends of the disease worldwide.

“We are prepared to hold the election on July 2, this is why we continue to prepare but the coronavirus is the only threat,’ he said.

Banda said the outbreak—which has resulted in President Peter Mutharika declaring a State of Disaster—might impact of the process leading to the electoral body failing to conduct the election within the timeframe of 150 days as stipulated by the Constitutional Court (Concourt) on February 3.

“As you are aware, not more than 100 people can congregate at one place as the preventive measure against coronavirus and this is very difficult in the preparations and the holding of the election,” he said.

He said people look at each other suspiciously these days due to the coronavirus threat therefore it is not possible to bring them together.

Banda then advised the civic educators to be non partisan when did discharging their duties.

MEC chairperson Jane Ansah also told the National Elections Consultative Forum (Necof) meeting last week in Mangohci  that if the pandemic worsens, MEC might have no other option than “to put on the election on hold.”

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