NRB, MEC MoU worries councillors

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MEC, NRB MoU

Ward councillors have expressed worry over the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between National Registration Bureau (NRB) and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to use national identity cards (IDs) for 2019 voter registration process.

Councillors from Mchinji district faulted the MoU arguing it will deny voters their rights as many are failing to register during the mass registration exercise.

MEC, NRB MoU
MEC and NRB officials at the MoU signing ceremony last week.

Speaking during an interface meeting for district governors organized by National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE), councillor for Mikundu ward Kennedy Chipanga disclosed that the district has witnessed low turnout of people to get registered, a development that poses worry on a few people being eligible to vote during the 2019 polls.

Chipanga added that some staff members are shunning very remote areas in the district arguing they are not conducive for work, which may lead to some people failing to get IDs.

In an earlier interview with Malawi24, NRB spokesperson Norman Fulatira said the country will have continued process of registration from next year to allow those that will miss the mass registration to be registered.

MEC signed a MoU with NRB to use the national IDs for registration in a bid to reduce costs for the elections in the country.

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