By Joshua Mphanda, MEC Stringer
Voter registration and verification has started on a low note at Lilongwe Nsinja South constituency where by-election will be held next month.
A survey of five centres on the first day of the exercise in Nadzumi ward showed that less than seventy people had registered or verified their names by midday.
The centres surveyed in the ward have a total of over four thousand registered voters and are Thanthwe primary school, Mselera, Kapululuka, Malama, and Chasowa.
Speaking in an interview, Adnet Jickie, a supervisor at Chasowa primary school attributed the development to the short period between announcement of the by-elections and commencement of the registration exercise.
“This is because everything has happened on a very short notice and being the first day no wonder not many people are coming to register or verify,” said Jickie.
The supervisors in other centres also attributed other factors for the low turnout to the recurrent funerals in the area, the farming season and limited electoral information available.
Meanwhile the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has revealed plans to deploy loudhailers and distribute leaflets to woe people to register and verify their names.
The by-election is being held in the area following the death of veteran Malawi Congress Party (MCP) parliamentarian Lingson Belekanyama who until his death also as served as Minister of Local Government.
