Monthly Archives: April 2014

Media Releases, News

PRESS STATEMENT: Second Presidential Debate

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Pres. Debate Press Statement

Presidential Debates 2014

For Immediate release, 24 April, 2014

The multi-stakeholder Taskforce on Malawi Presidential Debates, chaired by the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA), will hold a second Presidential Debate on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. The debate will take place at the Bingu International Conference Centre, (BICC), from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and broadcast live on radio, television and internet.

The debate will be limited to political parties fielding parliamentary candidates in not less than 10 percent of the total 193 constituencies. The same criteria will be used for the third debate scheduled for Victoria Hotel in Blantyre on May 6. Continue reading →

Media Releases, News

Presidential Debate

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United they stand: The sight presidential candidates.

United they stand: The eight presidential candidates. Courtesy of Nation Publication Limited

8 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SHOW UP FOR DEBATE

Eight of the 12 presidential candidates showed up on Tuesday evening at Bingu International Conference Centre for the first ever debate Malawi’s history as the country is gearing up for the May 20 tripartite elections.

The presidential candidates present were Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front, Helen Singh of United Independence Party; James Nyondo of National Salvation Front; Mark Katsonga of Peoples Progressive Movement; John Chisi of Umodzi Party; Friday Jumbe of New Labour Party; Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party and Kamuzu Chibambo of Peoples Transformation Party.

For more details. CLICK HERE.

 

Media Releases, News

In a First For Malawi, Voter Verification Now Available On Mobile and Web

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MEIC logo.

In a first for Malawi, voter verification now available on mobile and web

BLANTYRE – 21 April, 2014:

In a historical and electoral first for Malawi, prospective voters in the country are now able to verify their voter registration status using mobile phones. A web platform has also been created for the same purpose.

Registered voters in the upcoming Tripartite elections scheduled for 20 May, 2014 can now send a FREE short–‐message–‐service (SMS) to a designated short–‐ code and instantly receive details of where they are registered to vote.

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) in conjunction with the Malawi Election Information Centre (MEIC) is rolling out this service, with technical assistance coming from SMAG Media UK, Ltd. and Code For Africa.

For More details CLICK HERE.

Media Releases, News

PRESS STATEMENT: Presidential Debates 2014

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Pres. Debate Press Statement

Presidential Debates 2014

For Immediate release, 17 April, 2014

The multi-stakeholder Taskforce on Malawi Presidential Debates, chaired by the National Media Institute of Southern Africa (NAMISA), will hold a Presidential Debate for all 12 aspiring presidential candidates on Tuesday, April 22, 2014. The debate will take place at the Bingu International Conference Centre, (BICC), from 6:00 to 9:00 pm and broadcast live on radio, television and internet.

Second and third presidential debates are also scheduled for April 29 and May 6 in Lilongwe and Blantyre respectively, and will include those political parties fielding parliamentary candidates in 10 percent of constituencies across the country. Continue reading →

Media Releases, News

PUBLIC NOTICE: Phase Two of Voters’ Roll Inspection

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THE Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is informing all registered
voters, political parties, civil society organisations and the general
public that the second phase of voter verification will start on Easter
Monday, 21 April, 2014 and end on Friday, 25 April, 2014.

This second phase will cover Mulanje, Machinga, Mangochi, Balaka,
Salima NKhotakota, and all districts in the Northern Region. Centres
will be opening from 8AM to 4PM including lunch hour.

For more details CLICK HERE.

Media Releases, News

“Malawi’s missed opportunity for electoral reforms threatens to undermine 2014 polls ”

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20140415_135027AS Malawi gears up to go to what many are calling the closest electoral race in its history, a new report entitled: “Malawi- Political Participation and Democracy,” has pointed to the missed opportunity for electoral reforms in the country.

It states that the First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system does not appear to be serving Malawi well.  And ‘losers’ have ended up being crowned ‘winners’ in general elections.

Currently Malawi’s electoral rules states that any person vying for political office is deemed the winner based on a simple majority.In essence, one can be a winner of an election without a mandate, as was the case in 1994 with former president Muluzi, who received only 47% of the vote.

Ten years later this trend was repeated by late Bingu wa Mutharika, who garnered only 36% of the vote, yet still went on to be president, (although in 2009 Mutharika had 66% of the vote).  In essence 64% of electorates rejected him, but because of the FPTP system, he ended up being at the helm of government. Continue reading →
InPix

THE Road So Far in Pictures With the MEIC

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MEIC_2014 would like to thank the following for all their input in this project: OSISA, HIVOS, Afrimap, Glen Mpani, Sando Johnson, Gertrude Pourrier, Dumase Zgambo-Mapemba, Geof Chirwa, Levi Kabwato, Ruth Masangano, Rosenana Roka, and Christine Malata.

News, Training

1st Training of Trainers hailed as a success

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Roll play: trainers demonstrate election day, vote counting, monitoring and observation.

Role play: trainers demonstrate election day vote counting, monitoring and observation.

THE Malawi Election Information Centre (MEIC) has kick-started a series of Training of Trainers (ToTs) with a session in Blantyre, the country’s commercial capital. At least 56 ToTs are expected to be trained across Malawi’s three regions: Southern, Central and Northern.

The primary objective of the training is to equip selected individuals with multiple skills that enable trainees to further train and impart the same skills to independent election observers.

Officially opening the one-day training at Hotel Victoria on Wednesday, 9 April, SMAG Media Director, Sando Johnson, said the work carried out by observers was of fundamental importance to the successful running of the Election Situation Room (ESR) in Malawi. Continue reading →