By Moses Nyirenda

Lilongwe, August 16, Mana: Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has expressed confidence in its newly introduced Electoral Management Devices (EMDs) which the commission is expected to use in conducting electoral processes including voter registration for the upcoming 2025 general election.

Speaking on Friday during an engagement meeting which MEC organized to interact with development partners, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the media on electoral processes, MEC Chairperson, Annabel Mtalimanja said the newly introduced EMDs are reliable and secure.

“The assurance is that the machines are secure and all the data will be secure because one of the issues that raise concern is the issue surrounding security and I can assure Malawians that the machines are secure and the system is secure,” Mtalimanja said.

She added that the machines would be used anywhere in the country including in the remotest areas regardless of power challenges saying the machines come with the power banks that run the devices in the areas where there is no electricity.

She also said MEC has introduced the machine to ensure that every eligible voter with national ID card or proof of National Registration Bureau is able to register and take part in voting during the upcoming general election.

She further said MEC will soon embark on voter registration exercise using the EMDs and appealed to the CSOs and the media to help in raising awareness to the public about the voter registration processes in order for eligible voters to be able to register and vote.

“Our encouragement to the CSOs and the media is to help us sensitize the public to ensure that every eligible voter has taken the time to register with NRB because every potential voter without a National ID will not be able to register,” she said.

In a separate interview after MEC's engagement with development partners, CSOs and the media, Women Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) Executive Director, Maggie Kathewera hailed MEC for introducing the EMDs.

“We are living in a technologically advanced world and the adoption of EMDs by MEC is something that has to be commended,” Kathewera said.

MEC engagement meeting with the development partners, CSOs and the media among others attracted representatives from various CSOs including; WOLREC, Oxfam Malawi, Cise Malawi as well as representatives of media bodies such as Media Council of Malawi and Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi.