The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has urged candidates in the March 30 by-elections to focus on issues not personalities during campaign and to avoid promoting violence.
The commission’s chairperson Dr Chifundo Kachale said this when he visited centres in Nsanje central and North constituencies.
Dr Kachale said the contestants should conduct issue based campaign and avoid violence.
“Am urging the contestants not to encourage violence or anything that will undermine the democratic process of voting as well as to respect democrat choices of our people and to only engage them on objective issues,” said the MEC Chairman.
He added that so far the verification process is going on well as there will be no new registrants in the two constituencies since it is a re-run.
“As of now 48 percent of the voters have already gone to their centres to verify their names and this shows that people are ready to cast their votes on March 30th and by the grace of God we are going to deliver credible election,” he added.
Esmy Hubertb Bande of DEPECO, Francis Lazaro Kasaila of Democrat Progressive Party (DPP), Laston Saidi Katole of United Democrat Front (UDF), Kafandikhale Mandevana of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Mzeru Mybeck of UTM are contesting for the Nsanje Central constituency seat.
Patrick Bande an independent candidate, Esther Mcheka Chilenje of DPP, Enock Masautso Chizuzu of Malawi Congress Party, and Kennedy Jailosi of UTM are contesting for Nsanje North constituency.
Nsanje Central and North constituencies will hold by-election after court ruled that there were some irregularities in the previous elections.
After visiting the polling centers, the chairperson also visited the nerve centre at Mpatsa teachers’ development centre.
