By Madalitso Phiri, MEC Stringer
As the phase seven of voters registration ended on Sunday, October 21, 2018 Chitipa district council has failed to meet its 117 thousand electorate target.
According to the information gathered by this MEC reporter through the District Elections Officer, Michael Mkandawire, only 95 thousand out of 117 thousand have registered to vote in the forthcoming 2019 tripartite elections.
Mkandawire said the figures also means that the district has failed to meet the previous figures in 2014 tripartite elections when 105 thousand registered during the same exercise.
However seeking the reaction with the District Commissioner for the district, Michael Chimbalanga to hear on what has led to the disastrous figures unlike in the past, blamed some CSO’s whom he did not mention for not coming out and sensitize the general public on the relevant of registering despite being accredited by MEC.
“Some CSO’s did not turn up for civic education to the public, MEC could have first assessed their financial muscle before accrediting them, only CCJP and NICE tried their level best, the rest did not, this have contributed to the falling of figures” said Chimbalanga.
Chimbalanga has however asked MEC to consider an extension period in the district so that those left out should be given last chance.
Meanwhile MEC through its Public relations officer Sangwani Mwafulirwa has since said like in all other councils where the exercise has already been carried out, no extension to the phase.
“We are aware of the absence of some CSO’s and MEC put in measures to close the gap. We intensified our outreach with loudhailers, radio messages and community videos shows, therefore no any extension shall be made.”
The registrations exercise is expected to enter into its last phase which is phase 8 in district like Mzimba, Mzuzu city, Nkhatabay and Likoma Island.
