The Malawi Electoral Commission-MEC has said it is impressed with its polling staff for enforcing strict covid-19 preventive protocols during the 29th June by-elections.
MEC Chairperson Justice Chifundo Kachale made the remarks at Mdeka Primary School when monitoring the voting process for Chikwembere Ward local government by-elections.
Kachale said the commission was happy with how the polling staff ensured every voter had a face mask and washing their hands before voting.
” This is what the commission had been advocating throughout the preparations for the by-elections. It is our duty to protect voters and thus the reason we removed some of our voter civic education activities that required people to be in large numbers,” he said.
The MEC Chairperson however said he was not impressed with the turnout of voters during the by-elections.
” The observation we have made so far in our engagement with people, we don’t think they fully appreciate the significance role of councillors in as far as their development is concerned”
“The legislative function of a Member of Parliament seems to be taken more seriously than the fact that councillors are the ones who sit and decides development projects within their councils,” he added.
MEC is conducting parliamentary by-elections in Nkhata Bay Central Constituency following a court order and local government by-elections in Nsanje Lalanje and Chikwembere Wards following the death of office bearers.
