MALAWI: BALLOTS/MBC/30/1/19 SABANews 1
BLANTYRE – The MALAWI Electoral Commission has called on operators of nomination equipment to ensure their tools are safe when discharging their duties.
MBC News says the Commissioner responsible for Media and Civic Education has addressed the workers during a ONE-day-long training session in the commercial capital, BLANTYRE.
MOFFAT BANDA says the aim of the exercise is to equip personnel with skills in readiness for the presentation of nomination papers ahead of general elections on 21 MAY 2019.
Other media reports say the Commission has called on aspiring candidates to present their nomination papers for pre-inspection on the SECOND and THIRD of next month.
They say people vying for the National Assembly and Local Government will present their nomination papers to their Constituency Returning Officers.
Presidential candidates will present their nomination papers to the Electoral Commission Head Office at the COMESA Hall in BLANTYRE.
The exercise aims to ensure all nomination papers have been filled correctly and allow aspiring candidates to correct any anomalies and deficiencies whilst there is still time.
Chief Elections Officer SAMMY ALFANDIKA has issued a statement say the move will help avoid a situation where errors come out on the nomination day and cause panic.
He says politicians who will not be able to go to the pre-inspection centre to delegate their representatives, and there is no need to mobilize their supporters to escort them to the venues.
However, Mr ALFANDIKA says there is no specific schedule drawn and aspiring candidates or their representatives are free to come at their convenient time.
The government of MALAWI is this year funding general elections without support from donors for the FIRST time since the advent of multiparty democracy in 1994./Sabanews/cam