NICE Trust prepares anti-voter aparthy for Malawi 2019 tripartite elections
As one way of mobilizing the general public to cast their vote in 2019 tripartite elections, National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust says it is prepared to provide voter and civic education towards the forthcoming elections.
NICE Executive Director, Ollen Mwalubunju confirmed that NICE is set to work with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in providing voter and civic education.
“NICE is all prepared to contribute with adequate information in voter and civic education to the general public toward the forthcoming 2019 tripartite elections so that people should cast their votes in their large numbers,” said Mwalubunju.
He added that NICE Trust started its preparations in 2014 following the successes of the first tripartite elections.
Asked to outline the successes Mwalubunju said in 2014 tripartite elections NICE managed to reduce levels of violence which happen during elections, also created good collaboration with artists including dramatists and musicians who helped in publicizing information on voting.
He said NICE Trust also managed to create good collaboration with research institutions which help in conducting research projects focusing on the effectiveness and areas to be improved upon before the tripartite elections.
The director said NICE Trust has therefore arranged a number of activities to make the forthcoming tripartite elections more successful and one of the activities include community awareness campaigns which will focus on promoting women participation in leadership based on the fifty-fifty campaign.
“We have arranged a number of activities to be done before the day of 2019 tripartite elections and the activities include awareness campaigns focusing on women empowerment in leadership, we want more women to come out in line with the fifty-fifty campaign,” explained the director.
He also said NICE has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with media clubs namely; Bwaila media Club for the central region, Blantyre Press Club from the south and Nyika Media Club from the northern region to help boost media capacity in reporting electoral issues and providing civic education.
He also said NICE Trust is working with various organizations of people living with disabilities such as Federation of Disability Organization in Malawi (FEDOMA) and the Malawi Union for the Blind (MUB).
According to Mwalubunju, NICE Trust intends to provide user friendly equipment for disseminating information of the 2019 tripartite elections to the physically challenged individuals.
NICE public Trust National Programs Manager, Gray Kalindekafe said 5006 monitors will be stationed in each of the polling station centers across the country and these monitors will be supported by about 500 roving monitors.
“We will deploy monitors to all 5006 polling stations that MEC has established in all constituencies and wards, these monitors will help people cast their votes properly to reduce null and void votes,” said Kalindekafe.
Kalindekafe said the monitors would ensure that all eligible voters have meaningfully participated in the forthcoming 2019 tripartite elections
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Given that there are only 14 months to go before the tripartite elections, you (NICE) have to come up with radical strategic and tactics to get the voting youth off the butts to go vote. There are so disfranchised and inert to rise up to any type of Civics education. I suggest for these elections, you incentivize the youth to vote. Award them with airtime/data or free education, whenever they can prove that they have voted. This may be just what they need at least for the first time voters, and only then should you (NICE) follow up with voter/civics… Read more »