Local polls set for November

Malawi’s Electoral Commission has announced that the country’s local government elections will be held in November, news reports said on Monday. Commission spokesman Fergus Lipenga was quoted as saying that all was set for the contest for the elections to be held on 21 November. “All logistical hurdles have now been overcome,” he said. Chief elections officer George Chimwaza said registration for the polls would start on Monday, 28 August. “This shouldn’t be a big exercise as we don’t expect to register more than 300,000 voters,” he said. Judge James Kalaile, who chairs the Commission, has pleaded with political parties to desist from violence in the run up to the elections. Malawi has been running without local authorities since the then incoming administration of President Bakili Muluzi and his ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) fired all city, town, district and ward councillors allegedly for being stooges of the regime of former President Hastings Kamuzu Banda and his former ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP).