MEC officials meet parliamentarians after slash in Malawi 2019 poll budget
Officials from pollster, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) are this week expected to meet a parliamentary cluster just days after Finance minister Goodall Gondwe announced that the organisation will get K31.5bn (about 42.5 million U.S. dollars) out of the budgeted K42bn for the 2019 polls.
MEC chair Jane Ansah said this was the first that the government has provided 85 per cent for national elections.
“We used to get just 50 per cent of the budget in the previous elections,” she said.
She refused to give details on where the rest of the money will come from, saying details will be provided to the relevant parliamentary committee this week.
Presenting the proposed budget to Members of Parliament, in the country’s capital Lilongwe Friday, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe explained that the K31.5 billion would among others, cover voter registration and verification, education and outreach, election materials, vehicles and polling stations.
“This represents the total budget for the general elections the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) will require,” explained Gondwe who further disclosed that Malawi would independently fund its entire election process without donor support as had been the case previously.
During the tripartite elections slated for May 2019, Malawians are expected to elect a President, Members of Parliament and Ward Councillors.
Voter registration starts next month. Donors are likely to make up the remaining money through an election basket fund.
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While the move to by government to take the sole responsibility of funding the elections is good, this increases chances for rigging by those that have released the funds because there will be no checks and balances from external actors.