In a bid to support youths and women ahead of the 2019 elections, Malawi’s main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has slashed nomination fees for the party’s primary elections.
This is according to MCP’s Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka who confirmed the development at the opening of the party’s primary elections late last week.
The party initially set MK50,000 for all the nominees for the primary elections but the fee has been reduced to MK30,000 for youths and women.
The secretary general said that the reduction of the fees is to encourage young and female politicians to participate in the coming elections.
“The youths should be given space to contribute towards policies and direction in the future and as you know that the majority of this country are the youths so they should be given space to contribute towards shaping up a future that will have a direct impact.
“All this has been done to promote more youths to participate in the primary elections,” said Mkaka.
Meanwhile, The Young Politicians Union has urged parties to provide a special quota for the youths in the coming elections.
According to the National Director of the Union, Clement Makuwa, most of the parties are not involving youths in their party’s top positions.
Makuwa said there is need to involve youths in top political positions and this can only be possible if there will be an introduction of a special quota for the youths.
