By Joel Chirwa and Blessings Kaunda
Mzuzu, August 24, Mana: Chairperson for Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale, has expressed concern over lack of participation by interest groups such as women and people with disabilities in the August23, 2022 Local Government By-elections.
He was speaking Wednesday in Mzuzu when announced results of Local Government By-election which were conducted in Shire Ward in Balaka, Wenya Ward in Chitipa and Lupembe Ward in Karonga.
Kachale said electoral partners should consider encouraging women, youth and people with disabilities to participate in elections for them to attain decision making positions in the society.
“Let me encourage political parties to initiate programmes that would ensure increased participation under privileged people and other interest groups in elections.
In the just conducted by-elections, there were no female candidates or people with disabilities. It is important to accommodate them in elections because they constitute a good percentage of registered voters,” he noted.
The Chairperson encouraged registered political parties in the country to participate in every by-election, saying out of 15 registered political parties only seven political parties participated in the just concluded by-elections.
However, Kachale said the by-elections process went on smoothly as the Commission did not get any complaints that required the electoral body to deliberate upon.
“All complaints which arose at the polling stations were resolved at right at the centres,” he said adding that MEC was satisfied with voters’ turnout and conduct of the people in polling stations.
A voter, Wilson Singini said local Government elections are not attracting a lot of voters and MEC need to do more civic education for the electorates to understand the importance of voting.
The by- elections were conducted following deaths of the previous office bearers.
