By Watipaso Mzungu
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), an arm of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), has urged Malawians to take advantage of the supplementary voter registration exercise to register for the 2025 General Elections.
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) were scheduled to conduct the exercise from January 10, 2025, but the exercise was cancelled due to other reasons.
This notwithstanding, CCJP, which is one of the civil society organizations (CSOs) accredited by MEC to provide civic and voter education ahead of the September 16 General Elections, has deployed its officers in all the areas earmarked for the supplementary registration to raise awareness about the importance of the exercise.
With financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the “Enhancing the Participation of Women in the 2025 Malawi General Elections Project”, officials from the Commission on Friday held a whistle-stop public awareness campaign in residential areas of Chinsapo, 22, 23, 10, 12, 18, 30, 28, 26 and 25.
CCJP Acting Archdiocesan Secretary, Fletcher Mbewe, told residents that patronized the campaign to take advantage of the supplementary registration exercise to register with MEC so that they exercise their right to vote for leaders of their choice on September 16 this year.
“MEC and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) were supposed to open their centres for a supplementary voter registration exercise today. But due to other unforeseen circumstances, the exercise has been postponed to a later date. And when that day comes, please go and register so that you participate in these very important elections,” said Mbewe.
He stressed that voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities that citizens have in a democratic setup like Malawi.
Mbewe therefore urged the Lilongwe residents to take advantage of the supplementary voter registration exercise to elect leaders of their choice.
“You have another chance to change the direction of your country. But you can only do that if you register with MEC and cast your ballot on that date. Should you fail to utilize this opportunity, you’ll lose the chance to change things for the better,” he warned.
On her part, CCJP Gender Officer for the Archdiocese of Lilongwe, Mwai Chisi, mobilized the youth and female residents to go beyond mere voting or morale boosters for male contestants.
Chisi said time had come for the youth and women to contest for various elected positions in their respective areas.
At a recent press briefing, MEC chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja told journalists that the supplementary voter registration was a result of the High Court ruling on October 25 2024, which aimed at ensuring that all eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process.