The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has registered 81 percent of projected voters during the six phases of the ongoing voter registration.
The commission’s chairperson Jane Ansah made the announcement this morning at a press briefing in Lilongwe.
According to Ansah, the commission has registered a total of 5,522,926 voters against a projection of 6,835,358. She added that 3,055,813 are women representing 55 percent and 2,466,605 are men representing 45 percent.
“Of all the total registered voters for the six phases, the number of youths, aged less than 35 years, registered is 3,134,651 representing 57 percent. Of the total sum for registered youths, 1,711,945 females representing 55 percent and 1,422,706 are males translating into 45 percent,” said Ansah.
The new figures follow the completion of phase six of the registration exercise which covered Mangochi city, Mangochi Town, Zomba district, Zomba city and Nsanje district.
MEC will on Monday start the seventh phase of the exercise which will end on October 21, 2018. It will be conducted in Chitipa Karonga, Rumphi, Machinga and Chiradzulu.
The whole registration exercise began on June 26, 2018 and will run up to November 9, 2018.
During the press briefing, Ansah also complained over challenges the commission has been facing when conducting sensitization meetings to mobilise voters.
She said a vehicle that was engaged to conduct community cinema and dialogue in Zomba was on 20th September attacked by unknown criminals who smashed the vehicle’s rear windscreen.
On 21st September, 2018 a loudhailer van that was mobilizing people around Zomba Lisanjala Constituency was also stoned but it was not damaged
Ansah expressed disappointment over the attacks saying they can cause fear among the voter education staff who at times have to work at odd hours.
The MEC chairperson also revealed that the commission is still facing transportation and in phase six MEC hired 36 buses at a cost of K74 million to registration staff to phase 7 districts.
