The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has called upon the National Registration Bureau (NRB) to deal with technical challenges that derail registration process saying people should not wait for a long or returned to come the following day because of faulty equipment.
The CCJP has also called upon the government and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to ensure that the voter registration process is accessible, transparent and inclusive with special focus to be placed on reaching remote and underserved areas to ensure no eligible voter is excluded.
The organization says voter apathy is a direct threat to the country’s democracy, diminishing the power of collective decision-making saying the CCJP will lead comprehensive awareness campaigns nationwide to highlight the significance of voting and the necessity of a National ID for registration.
In a statement dated 19th September, 2024 signed by its National Coordinator Boniface Chibwana, the CCJP says it will be encouraging all Malawians to recognize the importance of their civic duties as voting is a powerful instrument for change.
The CCJP says Malawi continues to grapple with voter apathy a phenomenon that poses a serious threat to the democratic process observing that historical data from the recent elections, the 2020 Fresh Presidential Elections saw a further decline and this was the same with by-elections in 2021 and 2022.
The organization says the recent by-elections in Chilaweni and Mwasa wards underscored this troubling trend while the by-election of Zomba-Mtiya ward was particularly alarming with voter apathy saying these statistics are not just abstract numbers, they reflect a disengagement that undermines the democratic process.
“Let us all secure our National IDs, register to vote, and take an active role in determining the future of our beloved country,” reads the statement in part.
The CCJP says the upcoming Voter Registration period in October and November, 2024 is a crucial step in the democratic process strongly urging all eligible Malawians to register to vote.
