Chilima says Cabinet Committee on COVID-19 has no powers to call off MEC registration exercise

State Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima who is also United Transformation Movement (UTM) has said the special Cabinet Committee on the fight against coronavirus has no powers to call off the ongoing registration exercise by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) ahead of the fresh Presidential polls.

In its update on the Covid-19 situation in the country on Tuesday, the committee, through its chairperson Jappie Mhango, ordered that starting from today, voter registration must be suspended to “safeguard lives of voters”.

“What we are saying is that you can only have an election where people are enjoying good health. We are government and we have a duty to protect the citizens. It’s not about the courts. Wisdom must prevail. We have got wise people in courts and Parliament. This disease will not spare anybody.

“This [Covid-19] will not spare anybody. Whether you are in government, Judiciary and opposition. Even the Prime Minister of UK [Boris Johnson is suspected to] have the disease,’’ he said.

Mhango, who is Minister of Health, said the plan is not to disrupt the elections but not to subject people to hazardous activities.

Reacting to a question during media briefing in the capital Lilongwe, Chilima said the committee has no powers to stop the registration exercise.

Chilima has since urged Malawians to ignore the order.