MEC casts doubt over biometric voter registration in Malawi 2019 elections

Pollster Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has cast doubt that the biometrical voter registration set for 2019 would be implemented saying the National Registration Bureau (NRB) seems not to be ready.

MEC chairman Maxon Mbendera said in an interview on the sidelines of an audience with President Peter Mutharika on Tuesday in Lilongwe that NRB was unlikely to issue out national identity cards in the country by 2019.

“We will do the registration as we always do. If the National Registration Bureau, cannot finish their job by 2019, we will go ahead because we cannot postpone elections. We have a date in the Constitution for us to hold elections,” said Mbendera.

The adoption of biometric voter registration would have made registration of voters simple and drastically cut on costs as Malawians would have used their IDs to be registered in voters roll.

This was part of numerous electoral reforms the pollster planned to undertake ahead of the 2019 tripartite elections.

Another key electoral reform include the adoption of 50+1 voting presidential system which will allow a presidential candidate declared winner only after amassing over 50 per cent of all votes cast as opposed to the current system of first past the post.

In 2014, the presidential poll would have gone in second round in a battle between President Peter Mutharika and opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera as Mutharika amassed 34 percent of the votes cast.

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