/ 11 March 1999

MALAWI POLL DELAYED

MALAWI’s electoral commission, plagued by poor planning and poor funding from government and donors, has postponed the country’s second multi-party general elections from May 18 to May 25, an official said on Wednesday. Zeria Banda, the commission’s publicist, said the change was made to allow proper planning of the polls because most of the logistics have not been put in place and a calendar of events leading to the elections has to be changed. She said the new date is within the constitutional requirement that elections be held every five years on the third Tuesday of May or a week later. The change comes after concern was expressed by donors and other stakeholders that the elections will not be free and fair if held on May 18, because of the delays in registering the voters and a short period of campaigning.