By Innocent Kachingwe

Blantyre, May 26, Mana: National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust, in collaboration with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), on Friday held a community meeting in Chilaweni Ward to foster informed decision-making among voters.

The event was aimed at stimulating community members ahead of the upcoming by-elections scheduled for July 2024 which will fill the vacant position of ward councilor, following the death of Councillor Carlo Mdala in March 2024.

The meeting, which drew a significant turnout from local residents, highlighted the importance of civic participation and the need for informed voting among people of the ward located in Blantyre Rural East Constituency.

In her address, NICE Trust Programme Officer for Blantyre Urban and Rural, Glory Ngosi Maulidi, elaborated on the people's rights to participate in elections and politics in general, especially women, youths and people with disabilities.

“Our mission is to ensure that every citizen is well informed and understands the significance of their role in taking part on development issues. We believe that informed citizens are the cornerstone of a strong democracy,” said Maulidi.

She added that it is the responsibility of the people to vote for the leaders they desire and that people should refrain from handouts from political leaders because this leads to corruption, as wrong leaders are put into power.

On his part, Blantyre District Elections Officer for MEC, McDonald Tanganyika, stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in the electoral process and encouraged those that have the capacity of contesting for the councilor position to register in order for them to compete.

“Let us not forget that we are choosing a councilor that has to bring development in our area, so we need to register for us to vote for the right person for this role,” he said.

One of the participants, Elizabeth William, said the meeting has enlightening her as she now feels more prepared to choose a candidate who will truly represent their needs and drive positive change in Chilaweni Ward.

Chilaweni Ward has five Centre’s which include Army Secondary School, Mapazi Primary School, Chaweta, Mpumbe and Chilaweni Primary School.

Registration for the by-elections will commence on June 10.