The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is yet to commence the second phase of voter registration, putting in doubt the future of fresh presidential polls this July.
MEC suspended the first phase of the exercise last week after thugs terrorised some centres in Blantyre where they smashed official computers and assaulted the electoral body’s staff.
Later, the commission suspended the entire process in response to the 21-day Covid-19 lockdown which was expected to start Saturday midnight before the Human Rights Defenders Coalition challenged it in the High Court.
When asked as to when the registration exercise would resume, MEC’s Director of Media and Public Relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa responded that the commission will issue a statement on the same.
FRESH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2nd JULY, 2020
DATE
EVENT
RESPONSIBILITY
10 February to 30
May Procurement and delivery of voter registration and polling materials Procurement section and Electoral Services
10 February – 20
March 2020 Production of CVE Materials Civic & Voter Education
17th February 2020 Gazzette Notice of Fresh Elections Legal Services Directorate
24 February -23rd
March 2020 Recruitment of Registration staff Electoral Services, ICT and Administration
29 February to 5
March 2020 Recruitment of CCVEAs Civic and Voter Education
12 March 2020 CMD meeting in Blantyre Media and Public Relations
13 March 2020 NECOF meeting in Blantyre Media and Public Relations
23rd March 2020
Launch of Election Media and Public Relations
26th – 30th March
2020 Training of Registration staff Electoral Services, ICT and Administration
26th March 2020 CMD Meeting in Mangochi Media and Public Relations
27th March 2020 NECOF Meeting in Mangochi Media and Public Relations
30th March 2020 Last date for submission of names of monitors for registration and Inspection of Voters Register Media and Public Relations
30th March – 6th June
2020 Public outreach meetings with traditional leaders and their subjects, CVE loudhailer mobilisation and Distribution of CVE materials on registration
Civic and Voter Education Registration of Voters Electoral Services and ICT
DATE
EVENT
RESPONSIBILITY
4th April – 7th June
2020
23rd – 24th April,
2020 Presentation of nomination papers Electoral Services and ICT
25th April 2020 Commission Meeting to approve names of Candidates Electoral Services
26th April 2020 Publication of names of approved candidates Electoral Services & Media and PR
26th April, 2020 Launch of Official Campaign Campaign period stretches for 2 months
26th April – 1st June
2020 Official Campaign Period Media and Public Relations
28th April – 3rd July
2020 Meetings with Traditional Leaders – Polling Civic and Voter Education
30th April 2020 Vetting of ballot paper templates by party/candidates’ representatives Electoral Services and ICT
30th April 2020 CMD Meeting in Lilongwe Media and Public Relations
1st May 2020 NECOF Meeting in Lilongwe Media and Public Relations
3rd May – 1st June
2020 Printing of Ballot papers and results sheets (including inspection of packaging) – Outside Malawi Commission
3rd May to 22nd May
2020 Recruitment of Polling staff Electoral Services, ICT and
Administration
23th May – 2nd July
2020 Public outreach meetings with traditional leaders and their subjects, CVE loudhailer mobilisation and Distribution of CVE materials on Polling Civic and Voter Education
4th June – 19th June
2020 CVE loudhailer mobilisation and distribution of CVE materials on
Inspection of voter register Civic and Voter Education
8th – 13th June 2020 Production of Voters Roll – for Inspection ICT
8th – 20th June 2020 Distribution of CVE materials – Inspection of Voters’ Register
Civic and Voter Education 15th June 2020 CMD Meeting in Lilongwe Media and Public Relations
DATE
EVENT
RESPONSIBILITY
16th June 2020 NECOF Meeting in Lilongwe Media and Public Relations
18th – 19th June Inspection of Voters Register Electoral Services and ICT
20th – 23rd June
2020 Production of Voters Roll – for Polling ICT
22nd June 2020 Last date for submission of names of monitors for polling Media and Public Relations
23rd to 24th June
2020 Receipt of Ballot Papers at the airport Commission
23rd June 2020 Briefing of Dest, CRO and DECs in Polling procedures and Results Management Electoral Services and ICT
25th – 26th June
2020 Delivery of Training materials to
Constituency Nerve Centres
Electoral Services
27th – 28th June 2020 Delivery of Ballot Papers and other sensitive materials from the airport to Constituency nerve centers via councils Electoral Services
27th – 30th June 2020 Training of CROs, Presiding Officers,
Polling Operations Officers and
Assistants Presiding Officers Electoral Services and ICT
29th June 2020
Setting up Results Tally Centres ICT
29th – 30th June 2020 Delivery of polling materials and deployment of staff to polling stations Electoral Sevices
6.00am
30th June 2020 End of Campagn
Media and Public Relations
1st July 2020
Setting up of Polling Day layout in all Polling stations Electoral Services
From 9:00am -12 noon
1st July 2020
Opening and pre-checking of polling materials including ballots and training of Polling Clerks Electoral Services
6:00am -18:00 hrs
2nd July 2020
POLLING DAY Commission / Electoral Services
3rd – 4th July 2020
Retrieval of materials from polling stations to District Results Centre Electoral Services
DATE
EVENT
RESPONSIBILITY
3rd – 8th July 2020
Payment of Polling staff Finance and Electoral Services
3rd – 10th July 2020 Determination and announcement of results by the Commission Commission
11th July 2020
Publication of the results Legal Services and Electoral Services
12th – 13th July 2020 Deposit of Presidential election results and documents with Clerk of Parliament Electoral Services
16th – 29th July, 2020 Postmortem of the Elections Electoral Services
30th July – 13th
August 2020 Elections Report writing Electoral Services