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| National |
| NGOs want Electoral body to provide materials,NGOs want Electoral body to provide materials |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda,Pilirani Semu-Banda, 13 January 2004
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16:37:30
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Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Tuesday called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that there is constant supply of voter registration materials like films, stationery and forms used in the exercise in all registration centres following EC’s announcement to extend the period for the voter registration from 14 to 21 days.
EC chairman James Kalaile told a press briefing in Blantyre that the registration period, initially scheduled to end on January 18, will now end on January 25. He said this has been decided at a commissioners’ meeting which took place in Blantyre on Monday where it was also decided that the allowances for clerks working in all centres will be adjusted.
A visibly angry Kalaile refused to explain further on why the extension has been done but Chief Elections Officer George Chimwaza said in a later interview the Commission did not plan to cater for a lot of people in this registration exercise but that it has now been discovered that almost 50 percent of the 4.5 million who were in the voters’ roll have lost their duplicate certificates and need to have them replaced.
Chimwaza said the extension to the registration period will not cost the Commission much because the printing of the needed materials will be done as an in-house job.
He also said the electoral calendar remains intact and that a new voters’ roll will be ready for inspection by the first week of April.
But Chimwaza was worried over the low turnout by new registrants which has been noted around the country. He cited the whole Central Region as registering only 5,000 new people in one week.
He said EC has estimated to register 560,000 new voters and that it is hoping that more people will now register.
But Public Affairs Committee (PAC) programme officer George Dambula said what is important is “not really the extension of the period but whether materials will now be available”.
He said EC should ensure that the materials are available and not only talk of the extension which, he said, means more pressure on the budget of NGOs who are monitoring the exercise.
Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) officer Rodgers Newa, whose organisation comprises 21 organisations accredited to carry out civic and voter education, said it would have been proper for the Commission to give projections on how many people are expected to register for people to know whether the 7- day extension will be enough.
“Something is wrong for the Commission to extend the registration period and that something must be corrected,” said Newa.
NDA spokesperson Faustace Chirwa said although the extension is a good development, it would have been perfect if it was extended by two weeks saying the problems facing the exercise “are just too complex to be solved within seven days”.
MCP acting secretary general Kate Kainja said the extension is a good idea and commended the Commission for appreciating people’s complaints that the period was short.
UDF deputy publicity secretary Mary Kaphwereza Banda said EC’s move is most welcome.
“We as a party are very happy with this move since we want everybody to go and register so that people should appreciate that we really had a free and fair election when our candidate Bingu wins,” said Banda.
Meanwhile registration staff in Luchenza Town Assembly have threatened to stage a sit in from Friday if EC does not increase their pay which is now at K4,500 (about $43) and K3,500 for supervisors and clerks respectively.
The staff say they were promised K30,000 as payment for the exercise but Kalaile said it cannot be realistic for the Commission to give them that much.
“These are civil servants who get an average salary of K3,000 at the end of the month. Does it make sense to pay them all that money?” Queried Kalaile.
Earlier in the day Chief Justice Leonard Unyolo swore into office commissioners Lilian Kapanda-Phiri and Reverend Emmanuel Chinkwita Phiri who replaced Flora Chirwa and Augustine Mtendere who were fired from the Commission two months ago.
Kapanda-Phiri and Chinkwita-Phiri swore to do justice to all manners of people without fear, affection or ill will and to bear allegiance to Malawi and to protect the Constitution. ,
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Tuesday called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that there is constant supply of voter registration materials like films, stationery and forms used in the exercise in all registration centres following EC’s announcement to extend the period for the voter registration from 14 to 21 days.
EC chairman James Kalaile told a press briefing in Blantyre that the registration period, initially scheduled to end on January 18, will now end on January 25. He said this has been decided at a commissioners’ meeting which took place in Blantyre on Monday where it was also decided that the allowances for clerks working in all centres will be adjusted.
A visibly angry Kalaile refused to explain further on why the extension has been done but Chief Elections Officer George Chimwaza said in a later interview the Commission did not plan to cater for a lot of people in this registration exercise but that it has now been discovered that almost 50 percent of the 4.5 million who were in the voters’ roll have lost their duplicate certificates and need to have them replaced.
Chimwaza said the extension to the registration period will not cost the Commission much because the printing of the needed materials will be done as an in-house job.
He also said the electoral calendar remains intact and that a new voters’ roll will be ready for inspection by the first week of April.
But Chimwaza was worried over the low turnout by new registrants which has been noted around the country. He cited the whole Central Region as registering only 5,000 new people in one week.
He said EC has estimated to register 560,000 new voters and that it is hoping that more people will now register.
But Public Affairs Committee (PAC) programme officer George Dambula said what is important is “not really the extension of the period but whether materials will now be available”.
He said EC should ensure that the materials are available and not only talk of the extension which, he said, means more pressure on the budget of NGOs who are monitoring the exercise.
Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn) officer Rodgers Newa, whose organisation comprises 21 organisations accredited to carry out civic and voter education, said it would have been proper for the Commission to give projections on how many people are expected to register for people to know whether the 7- day extension will be enough.
“Something is wrong for the Commission to extend the registration period and that something must be corrected,” said Newa.
NDA spokesperson Faustace Chirwa said although the extension is a good development, it would have been perfect if it was extended by two weeks saying the problems facing the exercise “are just too complex to be solved within seven days”.
MCP acting secretary general Kate Kainja said the extension is a good idea and commended the Commission for appreciating people’s complaints that the period was short.
UDF deputy publicity secretary Mary Kaphwereza Banda said EC’s move is most welcome.
“We as a party are very happy with this move since we want everybody to go and register so that people should appreciate that we really had a free and fair election when our candidate Bingu wins,” said Banda.
Meanwhile registration staff in Luchenza Town Assembly have threatened to stage a sit in from Friday if EC does not increase their pay which is now at K4,500 (about $43) and K3,500 for supervisors and clerks respectively.
The staff say they were promised K30,000 as payment for the exercise but Kalaile said it cannot be realistic for the Commission to give them that much.
“These are civil servants who get an average salary of K3,000 at the end of the month. Does it make sense to pay them all that money?” Queried Kalaile.
Earlier in the day Chief Justice Leonard Unyolo swore into office commissioners Lilian Kapanda-Phiri and Reverend Emmanuel Chinkwita Phiri who replaced Flora Chirwa and Augustine Mtendere who were fired from the Commission two months ago.
Kapanda-Phiri and Chinkwita-Phiri swore to do justice to all manners of people without fear, affection or ill will and to bear allegiance to Malawi and to protect the Constitution. |
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