PRESS RELEASE

(for Immediate release 24/09/2013)

End of phase four of voters’ registration

The Malawi Electoral Commission is informing the general public that for the fourth phase of registration, centres will close to the public at 4PM on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 except some registration centres that failed to open on the first day of registration, 11^th September, 2013 or any other day during the registration period.

All persons who have not registered in the areas covered under phase four are encouraged to present themselves for registration before the closing time.

The Commission has put in place measures to ensure that all eligible persons register and also to avoid overcrowding at the registration centres.

The Commission is advising all registration staff that all registrants who cannot be processed by close of business on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 should be recorded and processed on priority on Wednesday. Please take note that this applies only to those who will present themselves for registration before 4pm on Tuesday, September 24, 2013.

The following centres will open for one more day, September 25, 2013 except Kandimana School which will also open on Thursday, September 26, 2013 because it had no registration for two days.

CONSTITUENCY	WARD	CENTRE
Machinga Central	Nsanama	Nsanama EPA
		Mwalasi School
	Mbonechera	Madzianjuchi School
		Nangondo School
Machinga Central East	Kanjuli	Mauwa School
Machinga East	Kawinga	Mpombe School
		Ntalala School
		Nankuyu School
		Mphonde Ground
	Nkoola	Naming’azi School
		Mthibwiribwi Ground
Machinga South	Chamba	Lingamasa School
Machinga South East	Chikweo	Kandimana School

The Commission is aware that from phase one to three there were some registration centres that did not open for the mandatory fourteen days. The Commission is currently working out on plans to re-open these centres.

The Commission is informing the general public that in subsequent phases, all registration centres that fail to open for the mandatory 14 days will have an extension equaling the period they were not operational. This approach has been taken to avoid piling up outstanding matters which may see the Commission not having enough equipment to cover all of them in time.  It might also be costly and logistically demanding to cover all the centres that will be spread across the country.

Willie Kalonga

Chief Elections Officer