On your marks, get set, go! The countdown to next year’s Local Government, Parliamentary and Presidential Elections starts this morning when the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) launches the elections in Lilongwe.
The launch comes barely a few days before political parties start holding elective conventions in readiness for the polls.
Mec Chief Elections Officer Andrew Mpesi said in a statement that the electoral body is expected to give an update on the state of preparedness and unpack the electoral calendar.
Mec spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa told The Daily Times that they have invited all electoral stakeholders to the grand launch of the elections.
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“We are bringing together stakeholders starting with all the 21 registered political parties. We have invited their secretaries-general, directors of elections and directors of women, civil society mother bodies, faith and religious leaders, paramount chiefs, among others.
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“We have also invited development partners and [officials from] government ministries, departments and agencies,” Mwafulirwa said.
He observed that Mec would like to unpack how it is going to conduct processes, including voter registration, for stakeholders to appreciate the processes.
“At the same time, we would like to explain to them the expectations of the Malawi Electoral Commission from them. Because for us to hold a successful election, it’s not only about what the commission has planned and is doing that counts, it is also how stakeholders effectively participate in such an election.
“Now for stakeholders to effectively participate [in the processes], we need to share information and knowledge with them. So, this launch is a platform for us to present the things to our stakeholders,” Mwafulirwa said.
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Meanwhile, political commentator Wonderful Mkhutche has said Malawians should not expect anything new from today’s launch, saying the role of Mec is simply to organise the election.
He was, however, quick to say Malawians should expect to see new things in terms of political party alliances.
