Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says its final report on boundary review will be submitted to the National Assembly for approval in October this year.
MEC has been conducting a constituency re-demarcation exercise which seeks to increase the number of constituencies from 193 to 228.
In a New Year statement, MEC chairperson Chifundo Kachale said the commission will submit final report to the National Assembly for approval in October, 2022.
According to Kachale, the commission has not finished the boundary review process as there are still activities planned for this year.
The processes include review of the boundary scenarios by the Commission from councils and to choose the preliminary map for each council.
There will also be display and viewing of preliminary maps for each council in public places including council offices, hospitals, markets and T/A headquarters and other strategic places which will be done in February.
The aim is to offer an opportunity for the public to view how the proposed boundaries will come out like and make representation, if any, that are in line with the law.
Kachale added that between April and May, MEC will hold public hearings in all the councils to get feedback from all stakeholders on the preliminary maps and between June and July, the Commission will also hold targeted meetings with other stakeholders including political parties and civil society organizations.
“The feedback from the consultative meetings will be considered by the Commission and incorporated into the first final draft of the boundary review report. Before submission of the report to Parliament, the Commission will hold a meeting with Members of Parliament in July 2022. This will be an opportunity for the Commission to explain, clarify and respond to queries from the MPs regarding the report,” said Kachale.
The plan to increase the number of constituencies has been opposed by various quarters including the Democratic Progressive Party which last year argued that the increase will cost taxpayers an additional expenditure MK16.8 billion in five years in paying member of parliament for the additional constituencies alone.
