MEC starts payment of delayed honoraria to polling staff: Some names still  missing

The Malawi Electoral Commission says it has started cash payments to all poll workers whose dues were outstanding for the services rendered during polling for the May 2014 elections. But some names are still missing on list to be paid.

The Commission engaged 89,000 poll workers and claims that close to 90 percent of them were already paid through electronic bank transfers.

The chief elections officer Willie Kalonga says in a statement that the cash payment exercise started on October 18, 2014.

He says it has so far taken place in Karonga, Rumphi, Nkhata Bay, Kasungu, Ntchisi, Ntcheu, Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga, Zomba, Chiradzulu Thyolo, Phalombe and Nsanje districts.

“The payments are being done during weekends and directly to the recipients by the Standard Bank through G4 Security. The UNDP is funding the process and the Malawi Electoral Commission is not handling any cash in this process” says Kalonga.

He however says in the course of the exercise some challenges have been encountered like some names missing on the list to be paid.

“A form has been designed to capture details of such persons so that they can be verified. Once verified to be genuine, the paying staff will go again to the centres to pay such staff.

The Commission is assuring all the polling staff that measures are being put in place to expedite the process and ensure that everyone who has not been paid for working for the May 2014 elections gets their pay,” says Kalonga

Kalonga says the Commission will be communicating to all poll staff through their respective Teacher Development Centres on the days for paying in remaining districts and other areas where payment was not completed.