Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has refuted media reports saying the body will no longer use teachers as Supervisors and Presiding officers in the future election.

MEC said this in a statement issued to the media signed by Chief elections officer Willie Kalonga.

In a statement, Kalonga said it’s not true that the body will not hire teachers in the future election due to ineffectiveness.

“The truth of the matter is that the Commission has changed the approach on recruitment of supervisors and Presiding Officers in that it will now be inviting applications and conducting interviews for these positions,” said Kalonga.

Kalonga says the arrangement follows recommendations from stakeholders that the Commission should broaden the base for recruitment of electoral staff to include other capable officers apart from teachers.

“The stakeholders further requested that, where possible, there should be a blend of careers at each polling stream. Teachers and non-teachers should be working together and not teachers only. In the past the tradition has been that head teachers were automatic Supervisors and Presiding Officers at the schools where they are based,” he says

He says several forums have recommended that the positions should be opened up to all teachers within the school and other qualified public officers in the vicinity of the centre.

The move to sideline teachers in the future election due to ineffectiveness sparkled fire among teachers.