Mec wants political parties to promote women in politics
The Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) has urged political parties in the country to put in place mechanisms that would encourage women to take part in elections not just as voters, but as candidates.
Mec Chairperson, Jane Ansah, was speaking in Mangochi on Friday when the commission launched by-elections in Malindi Ward. The seat fell vacant after the death of councillor Saidi John Maccolera in December last year.
Ansah said Mec is concerned that few women take part as candidates in elections.
Ansah offered suggestions on how to solve challenges associated with the participation of women as candidates, citing the reduction of nomination fees for women contestants as one of the strategies that would encourage women to contest for positions.
“But what we have seen is that political parties need to start encouraging women to take part in elections. This should not only be in terms of encouraging women to take part as voters, but as candidate as well because a woman is one of the major players in the electoral process,” Ansah said.
On the issue of the by-elections, Ansah said Mec was fulfilling its constitutional mandate of holding by-elections 60 days after a seat falls vacant.
Ansah said the April 10 by-election will be the last before the 2019 tripartite elections because the commission is not obliged to hold by-elections 12 months before a general election.
“This is our last by-election this period. We will be busy with [preparations for] the tripartite elections. We are committed to ensuring that this by-election and other elections should be free and fair,” Ansah said.
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