By Chikondi Manjawira

 

Malawi Electoral Commission-Mec has said there will be no new constituencies or wards created for 2019 tripartite  elections.

 

Media and Public Relations Director for Mec Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the commission will maintain the same 193 constituencies and 462 wards that were used in 2014.

 

Mwafulirwa further said that the commission is aware of the disparities that exist among constituencies like some having over 100, 000 registered voters while others have about 6000.

 

“We need to correct these disparities to ensure that constituencies are of almost equal population. This exercise we could not do it ahead of 2019 elections because the law requires that demarcation should be done considering the population of eligible voters and not actual registered voters.

 

“We needed a reliable source of data for this and it is the census that can provide this. Since the census was done this year and that Mec will be holding Elections in 2019, a comprehensive demarcation exercise will be done in 2020. By that time the census report will be out and the job will be easy, said Mwafulirwa.”

 

Mwafulirwa continued to say that Stakeholders should also know that the comprehensive demarcation might result in an increase or decrease in number of constituencies but all this shall be tackled that time and not now.

 

Mec has therefore asked all stakeholders having issues bordering on demarcation of wards and constituencies to know that the commission will not address them now but after elections.

 

In 2017 the commission conducted meetings with stakeholders to sort out issues of unclear boundaries and need for new voting centres.

Following such meetings the commission has created over 400 new centres as one way of taking elections to the people