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| National |
| Voters register without pictures,Voters register without pictures |
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by
George Ntonya,George Ntonya, 16 January 2004
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14:40:03
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Some voter registration centres in the capital Lilongwe are registering people without taking their pictures for easy identification during the May 18 general elections, random checks revealed on Friday.
Supervisors at the centres said Friday the Malawi Electoral Commission advised them to allow people to register without their pictures taken but the commission’s spokeman Fegus Lipenga said he was not aware of the development.
The commission is unable to supply adequate materials including films at various registrations.
“So far we have registered 18 people without taking their photos because we have run out of films and the Electoral Commission has advised us to proceed with the registration,” reported Syson Malili, a supervisor at Kamuzu Institute for Sports, Friday morning.
He said the number would rise sharply because “a lot of people are coming to register.” As of Friday morning the centre had registered a total of 503, since the exercise started on January 5.
Nanjati centre had registered nine people without taking their pictures by 11AM.
“We don’t know how those who have registered without being photographed will be identified,” said Domina Chisanga, a supervisor at Njanjati.
Chisanga said that besides the problem of films, the centre also received inadequate registration forms and plastic pockets for safe keeping of the forms.
But the story was different at other centres such as Kabwabwa in Area 25, where officials refused to register a lot of people until they received the films.
“We have sent back a lot of people because we don’t have films. We received one film yesterday for only 20 people,” said Milcah Kapyepye, a supervisor at Kabwabwa.
Lipenga said he would come back for a comment on the matter after consultations, but by press time he had not.
Meanwhile a statement from Public Affairs Committee (Pac), which has monitors at all centres throughout the country, has said expressed concern at the irregularities that have characterised the registration exercise.
“There is no doubt that many people, some of whom are busy in the fields, have been discouraged from participating after being turned back or getting feedback from others about these anomalies. Such manner of implementing the registration exercise raises questions about the seriousness of the electoral authority in effectively carrying out its mandate to ensure a free, fair and accessible electoral process,” reads Pac’s statement released Friday afternoon.
It adds that the Electoral Commission owes all stakeholders a sound explanation regarding these issues in order to put to rest our worst fears.,
Some voter registration centres in the capital Lilongwe are registering people without taking their pictures for easy identification during the May 18 general elections, random checks revealed on Friday.
Supervisors at the centres said Friday the Malawi Electoral Commission advised them to allow people to register without their pictures taken but the commission’s spokeman Fegus Lipenga said he was not aware of the development.
The commission is unable to supply adequate materials including films at various registrations.
“So far we have registered 18 people without taking their photos because we have run out of films and the Electoral Commission has advised us to proceed with the registration,” reported Syson Malili, a supervisor at Kamuzu Institute for Sports, Friday morning.
He said the number would rise sharply because “a lot of people are coming to register.” As of Friday morning the centre had registered a total of 503, since the exercise started on January 5.
Nanjati centre had registered nine people without taking their pictures by 11AM.
“We don’t know how those who have registered without being photographed will be identified,” said Domina Chisanga, a supervisor at Njanjati.
Chisanga said that besides the problem of films, the centre also received inadequate registration forms and plastic pockets for safe keeping of the forms.
But the story was different at other centres such as Kabwabwa in Area 25, where officials refused to register a lot of people until they received the films.
“We have sent back a lot of people because we don’t have films. We received one film yesterday for only 20 people,” said Milcah Kapyepye, a supervisor at Kabwabwa.
Lipenga said he would come back for a comment on the matter after consultations, but by press time he had not.
Meanwhile a statement from Public Affairs Committee (Pac), which has monitors at all centres throughout the country, has said expressed concern at the irregularities that have characterised the registration exercise.
“There is no doubt that many people, some of whom are busy in the fields, have been discouraged from participating after being turned back or getting feedback from others about these anomalies. Such manner of implementing the registration exercise raises questions about the seriousness of the electoral authority in effectively carrying out its mandate to ensure a free, fair and accessible electoral process,” reads Pac’s statement released Friday afternoon.
It adds that the Electoral Commission owes all stakeholders a sound explanation regarding these issues in order to put to rest our worst fears. |
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