The National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) and the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake a joint voter education and election observation ahead of the rerun presidential election in Malawi.
Malawi’s Constitutional Court (ConCourt) had nullified the May 2019 presidential election. The ConCourt’s ruling was later upheld by the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal (MSCA).
The Executive Director of NICE, Ollen Mwalubunju, National Coordinator of CCJP, Boniface Chibwana, and the Executive Director of PAC, Robert Phiri, said that the agreement to work together was reached because Malawians needed to be fully informed about the election.
In a statement, the organisations said, ‘Such voter engagement is crucial now that Malawi is holding the fresh polls for the first time and that there have been new dynamics and changes on the country’s political and electoral landscape’.
They also said, ‘We have agreed to establish and engage all electoral stakeholders on issues of concern in order to contribute towards a credible electoral process; to conduct joint civic and voter education activities; to conduct joint long-term and short-term election observation for the fresh presidential election; to train and deploy long-term and short-term observers for the upcoming fresh presidential election and to jointly manage the Election Situation Room’.
Source: Nyasa Times
Photo source: GPA Photo Archive
