A plane carrying ballot papers for December 15 by-elections in three constituencies will arrive in Malawi on Friday through Kamuzu International Airport.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the materials will arrive on a flight number EK9318 from Dubai where the materials were printed.

He has therefore called on all political parties and independent candidates to send two representatives to witness the clearance and dispatch of the ballot papers at the Kamuzu International Airport.

Mwafulirwa said: “The ballot papers will be arriving in the country at 16:05 hours and will be dispatched on the same day to the respective councils where by-elections will take place.”

“Early morning on 13 December, the ballot papers will be taken from the councils to the constituency nerve centres for distribution to the polling stations the same morning.”

He further said on December 14 there will be a pre-inspection of polling materials in all the centres where by-elections will take place.

Mwafulirwa further extended an invitation to all political parties and independent candidates to witness the verification exercise.

MEC has also assured all the concerned quarters that the ballot papers will be kept safely when they arrived at the councils.