LILONGWE, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Parliament of Malawi on Tuesday reconvened and amended an electoral law to ensure that all eligible citizens, including those assigned to duty on election day, can cast their votes.
The country's 2019-2025 Parliament was initially dissolved on July 22 by National Assembly Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara, in line with constitutional provisions for an election year.
On July 27, President Lazarus Chakwera, through his constitutional powers, ordered Parliament to reconvene on Aug. 5 to make the amendment, as the previous state of the law had restricted voters from casting their ballots at centers other than their registered polling place.
After a heated debate, the Malawian Parliament passed an amendment to the law, allowing eligible Malawians, including security officers, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) officers, and other officials assigned to electoral duties on voting day, to vote at the center where they will be deployed.
According to MEC, up to 80,000 eligible voters could have been deprived of their right to vote if the law remained unamended.
Over 20 presidential hopefuls are competing in Malawi's Sept. 16 general elections, whose campaign was officially launched by the country's electoral body on July 14.
Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party is being challenged by two former presidents, Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda. Other challengers include Michael Usi, current vice president, and Dalitso Kabambe, former governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
A total of 7.2 million Malawians are expected to cast votes on Sept. 16. Under the electoral law adopted following the 2020 rerun presidential election, the winner must secure 50 percent plus one vote to claim victory. ■
