Analysts question Malawi's Electoral Commission capacity

Political analysts have questioned the capacity of Malawi's Electoral Commission to manage elections following its failure to sort out problems emanating from the voters' roll in time.

The Electoral Commission opened a voters' roll verification exercise early May to enable registered voters verify their personal details and make coorections before the polling day.

In many centres, it was found that some names were missing, in others pictures followed wrong names while in others too numbers of registered voters reduced.

A political analyst Dr. Augustine Magolowondo said the challenges the electoral body is facing are not different from those of previous elections.

"The commission had similar problems in the past up to the extent of postponing elections. The challenge is that in Malawi, elections are taken as an event that takes place after five years," said Dr. Magolowondo.

Magolowondo said the verifying exercise could have taken place seven to eight months ago.

Another political analyst, a lecturer at the University of Malawi Blessings Chinsinga blamed the electoral body for poor planning.

"The Electoral Commission has failed to learn from the previous elections. The exercise could have been through by now," said Chinsinga.

Spokesperson for the Malawi's Electoral Commission Fegus Lipenga said the exercise has only managed to verify about half of the 5.9 million  registered voters, just 21 days to polling day.

The electoral body hired 550 teachers who have since been discharged of their duty because schools have opened on Monday.

The electoral body has hired  1 000 clerks to finish the job.

Lipenga said the commission expects to finish the exercise by May 3, which will be 15 days to voting.


Compiled by Deogratias Mmana/AEP