By Mercy Matonga:
Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) Wednesday engaged people intending to contest various positions in the September elections by orientating them on the electoral processes.
The training, in various councils, included aspirants for the positions of president, Member of Parliament and Ward Councillor.
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Lilongwe District Elections Officer for Mec, Alice Kanyangala, said the electoral body had revised some of its procedures to allow only those with serious intentions to contest.
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She was speaking at a meeting organised by Mec at Lilongwe City Council Hall, aimed at educating aspiring candidates on the procedures they need to follow.
“We have seen people collecting forms even without proper documentation. This time, we want people to pay first before submitting nominations to ensure that only genuinely interested individuals with the correct documentation take part in the electoral process,” Kanyangala said.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Lilongwe City Council Director of Administration, Mussa Mwale, who represented the council’s chief executive officer, said accurate electoral information is crucial to the electoral process.
“Our objective here is to provide information and ensure that prospective candidates and political parties are aware of their legal obligations. We want to prepare all interested individuals to participate in the nomination process if they so choose,” Mwale said.
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He added that Mec’s role at this stage was not to determine who a party’s rightful candidate was, nor was it concerned if more than one member of a political party attended the meeting.
“We believe everyone has the right to access electoral information and we are committed to empowering every potential candidate with the knowledge required to navigate the nomination process properly,” Mwale added.
One of the few presidential candidates who attended the meeting, Thoko Banda, said it was important to follow electoral procedures to ensure free and fair elections.
“These trainings are very important because they keep people well informed about the election process. People should know and learn to respect electoral procedures,” Banda said.
He added that there was a need to restore political sanity in Malawi and called for an end to the culture of handouts, which he said was negatively affecting the country’s development.
Later in the afternoon, another independent presidential aspirant, Milward Tobias, also collected his nomination papers.
Mec trained the general election aspirants on nomination requirements, legal procedures and the code of conduct in the lead-up to the September 16, 2025 polls.
The briefing also covered eligibility criteria, certification of persons with disabilities, the nomination process, correct completion of nomination forms and the electoral code of conduct for political parties and candidates.
