By Vicah Nasonh, MEC Stringer
Voter verification exercise which is currently underway in Dedza is said to have been marred by low turn out on its first day, as people say they were not aware of the exercise.
A visit to Mlanda and Chitundu primary schools in Mayani North constituency, found out that four and five people respectively managed to turn up for the start of the exercise and also in some parts of Mtakataka were only two went to the centers.
However, district civic education officer Patrick Siwinda has acknowledged the low turnout but has since played a blame game over the development.
“As NICE, we conducted several sensitization campaigns, telling people about the exercise which has started today. We reached religious groupings and local leaders in all the constituencies of the district, but it’s a sad to note that only a handful has responded to the exercise,” said Siwinda.
Siwinda has since expressed optimism that the exercise will gain the much needed momentum as more people will be heading to the centres in the days to come.
“Being the first day of the exercise, let us all agree about the situation at hand. But I am hopeful that we will be registering more coming to our centres to verify if they are appearing the register,” said Siwinda.
He also warned people on the district to embrace the exercise citing a number if shortfalls that will arise during the May 21 polls if they shun the verification exercise.
“Let me take this opportunity to advise all Malawians who registered to come to the centres to verify if they are appearing in the register because failure to do so will minimize the number of eligible voters next year,” added Siwinda.
Dedza is in the first phase of the exercise which is expected to end Friday the 14th of December 2018
