By Grace Kapatuka, MANA
District Commissioner (DC) for Salima, Grace Chirwa has called upon District Elections Supervisory Team (DEST) to be non –partisan when supervising and monitoring registration process of the fresh Presidential elections.
She was speaking in Salima on Saturday during a briefing of the District’s Committee on registration of voters and inspection of voters’ register by MEC, at the start of the registration process.
Chirwa said as Civil Servants, the team needed to be non-partisan in carrying out its duties if they are to win people’s trust and expectations.
“This is a committee that MEC has entrusted with the responsibility of supervising and monitoring the elections right from the start of registration. Let me therefore ask you all that you be neutral when carrying out this noble task,” the DC said.
She said MEC officials are overwhelmed with the preparations of the fresh Presidential elections hence delegating some its duties to the district team which she said was expected to work professionally.
“We should demonstrate to them that we are the best team by bringing out the desired results by the end of the exercise so that we help them conduct free and fair elections,” Chirwa said.
MEC’s team leader in Salima, who is Senior Electoral Services Officer responsible for Logistics, Samuel Sitolo urged the team to ensure that there was smooth implementation of the exercise currently underway in Salima and other districts of phase one.
He said the Committee should work hand in hand with other stakeholders in ensuring that only those persons that are eligible for the exercise participate in the exercise.
MEC is conducting registration of voters and inspection of voter’s register in preparation for the fresh Presidential elections following a Constitutional Court nullification of Presidential results of May, 2019 elections.
The first phase of the exercise which will run from April 4 to 17, 2020 is taking place in Salima, Karonga, Chitipa, Nsanje, Chikwawa, Dedza, Ntcheu, Blantyre district and Blantyre city.
