MCP expresses discomfort with with constituency re-demarcation formula
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has expressed reservations with the outcome of the constituency re-demarcation exercise, saying it favours the South Region.
On Thursday, the public elections governing body, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), led by its Chairperson Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale, met President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe in his capacity as MCP president to brief him on the constituency
re-demarcation exercise whose results were made public last month.
After a presentation of a report on the exercise by the electoral commission, Chakwera thanked MEC for completing the task and presenting a report to him.
However, Chakwera said since the report is in its draft stages, more input will be done so that all the concerns being raised can be incorporated.
Also speaking at the meeting was the party’s Director of Strategic planning Dr. Ken Zikhale Ng’oma, who said the exercise has given more advantages to the people of the South than those from the Centre and North.
Ng’oma cited Mzimba as one of the districts with large constituencies, but have received fewer additional constituencies.
He said, “The formula of 9:10, which MEC is using gives lesser advantages to Central and Northern Regions. As MCP, we feel that MEC could have used 7:10 and not 9:10.”
MPC Director of Elections Dr. Eias Chakwera and the party’s Director of Legal Affairs Titus Mvalo concurred with Ng’oma.
Chakwera said if they use population formula than the size of the land, it means other issues have been overlooked.
In his response, Kachale said MEC is ready to correct any errors as raised by the party.
MEC recently undertook the constituency and ward boundary re-demarcation as part of ensuring that there is equality to representation at local and national assembly.
According to the demarcation exercises, Northern Region will have 37 constituencies from the current 33, with an increase of four, while the Central Region will have 20 new constituencies from 73 to 93 while the Southern Region will have 98 constituencies, a jump of 11 from 87.
The development means that once approved, Malawi will have additional 35 on top of the existing 193 constituencies starting from 2025.
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Additional constituency Northern Region=4, Central= 20, Southern=11 and if we base on current number of MP in Parliament then additional constituency would be Northern=6, Central=13, Southern= 16. Apapa a MCP tiziti akudandaulapo chiyani apapa kuleka anthu aku North ndi South kapena ndi njira yonenela kuti thank you MEC.
Waste of time and resources all that numbers for what really in my view even 193 it’s too much already
Population matters compared to sizes of the land. Osadana ndi south abale. Nanga poti tikaonetsetsa Central ndiyomwe yapindula kwambiri.
So is a MCP regional party