The Malawi Electoral Commission has organized meetings in all the 229 constituencies that will be used for the 2025 elections with the purpose of getting stakeholder input on establishment of registration and constituency tally centres.
The meetings running from 13th February to 9th March, 2023 will be led by MEC Commissioners and will attract participation of political parties, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, Area Development Committee members among other stakeholders. A full schedule of the meetings can be accessed here.
This exercise follows the confirmation of the Report on Review of Constituency and Ward Boundaries by the National Assembly on 18th November 2022 and the passing of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Bill, 2022 that provides for the creation of Constituency Tally Centres during the same sitt
During the meetings delegates will have an opportunity to present and discuss proposed voter registration centres in respect of each constituency.
Through the same process, the Commission will also establish Constituency Tally Centres which shall be used for tallying results for each constituency.
All registered political parties are expected to send six representatives who should be two men, two women and two youths. Concerned citizens and all other electoral stakeholders are also at liberty to attend the public meetings and present their proposals.
The Commission is reminding stakeholders that the public meetings are the only platform it has set up to get input and feedback from all electoral stakeholders regarding establishment of registration and constituency tally centres. All proposals submitted outside this arrangement will not be considered.
Stakeholders are advised that the Registration Centres will also serve as places where the Commission will establish polling stations. As such the places to be proposed should not include military units, police stations, residential buildings, building occupied by political parties, premises where alcoholic drinks are ordinarily sold or consumed, places of worship or dedicated to worship and hospitals or health facilities.
Therefore, proposals should be restricted to public buildings which are generally being used as schools, community or social halls, administrative offices or any place located within government or local authority establishments.