Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has asked the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to consider the first phase of the voter registration exercise as a pilot considering the challenges it encountered. 

CCJP National Coordinator, Boniface Chibwana, noted that MEC did not fully conduct awareness campaigns in the three districts of Kasungu, Salima and Dedza resulting in the low turnout.

“There is need to start again in those three districts to give a chance to others to register so that will be eligible candidates to vote before going to other district,” Chibwana told YFM in an interview.

He advised MEC to conduct awareness campaigns in all districts across the country before going into the second phase and extend the registration period in the first phase.

However, MEC has announced that they will proceed to the second phase of the registration arguing that the low turnout of people was beyond their control.

The exercise will run from July 13-26 and will cover Nkhotakota, Ntchisi, Dowa and Mchinji districts.