The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced that Registration and inspection of voters’ roll for the October by-elections will start on Thursday, September 4, and will end on Monday the 8^th September, 2014.

Speaking in a press statement MEC’s Chief Elections Officer Willie Kalonga said centres will open to public from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon on all days including weekends.

“The Commission will register first-time voters who have attained the voting age after May 20, tripartite elections or will turn 18 by October 7, 2014 and that for non-Malawians, who apart from being of age, they should have been ordinarily resident in the country for the last seven years,” said Kalonga.

However The Commission will not register anyone who was eligible to register during the last registration exercise but failed to do so for whatever reasons, said the officer.

“Registered voters who lost their certificates should go to the centre where they registered to get a replacement certificate that will enable them to vote but the Commission will also not accept registrants or transfers from outside the constituency or wards where the elections are taking place,”

“All persons who registered in the May 2014 Tripartite Elections, whether they voted or not, are requested to inspect their details in the voters’ roll at the centre where they registered,” reads part of the statement adding that Refugees and asylum seekers are not eligible to register.

According to MEC the electoral laws allow eligible persons to register where they were born, stay, carryout business or work. The Commission is currently encouraging all registration staff, monitors and chiefs to ensure that all persons who register at the centres meet these criteria.

According to our source by-elections are expected to be heldin Thyolo East and Blantyre North Constituencies and in one constituency each in Lisanjala Ward in Machinga Likwenu, Kandeu Ward in Ntcheu North East, Lifupa Ward in Kasungu West, Mbalachanda Ward in Mzimba Central and Zgeba Ward in Karonga Nyungwe.