The Likoma District Council says it is optimistic that the campaign period will be peaceful in the district once it kicks off from 19th March to 19th May countrywide ahead of the 21 May tripartite elections this year.
District commissioner (DC) for Likoma and Chizumulu Islands Peter Jimusole made the remarks in an interview on Tuesday following a stable and peaceful submission of nomination papers exercise by various political aspirants to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in the district of late.
Jimusole said: “I am very much sure that we are going to have a peaceful campaign period in Likoma judging from what we have encountered previously. We have never had any disturbing incident, all political affiliations embraced peace.”
He further explained that the District Council has been in regular interfaces with various politicians and stakeholders with the main objective to enlighten Islanders on how best they could cooperate in achieving the campaign which will be free from violence and brutality.
“We have had several meetings in the Multiparty Liaison Committee (MPLC) with the district Elections Clerk and representatives from the political fraternity as well as other stakeholders and have shared ideologies on safeguarding this prospect,” he narrated.
Meanwhile, the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has since made mention that they will continue disseminating voter civic education on the Islands district to inform the public about the electoral laws in terms of their rightful participation in the electoral cycle.
Civic and Education officer for NICE on Likoma Patrick Jonathan Chikoti said the Trust will continue by its mandate to liaise with the Police service in the district to map the way forward on how security services are going to be carried out on the ground when politicians will be conducting the campaign.
“We are going to involve the Police service in our activities to enforce the laws including those of the electoral constitution so that anyone who will be found in conflict with the jurisdiction should be held answerable and be dealt with,” Chikoti explained.
Likoma district has always conducted free and fair electoral affairs ever since the introduction of the democratic system of government in 1994 where people have had the mandate to elect leaders of their choice in the general elections after every five years.
