Customised BRIDGE workshop for Malawi Electoral Commission staff on Introduction to Election Administration, Legal Framework and Reform and Voter Registration
27-29 May 2024
Malawi
The Malawi Electoral Commission, as part of preparations for the conduct of General Elections in September 2025, organized a BRIDGE training workshop for all its members staff from 27 to 29 May 2024. To cover all the members of staff and managing the numbers attending training sessions, there were six training sessions. One of the series of training sessions took place at Linde Motel, Mponela in Dowa. The objective of the training session was to build the capacity of staff in management of electoral processes.
The training comprised customized Introduction to Electoral Administration, Legal Framework and Reform as well as Voter Registration modules. The modules provided the opportunity to offer a refresher and orientation to newly recruited staff, sharing of changes to the electoral law with members of staff as well preparing staff for the upcoming voter registration exercise in September 2024.
In the opening remarks at the beginning of the training session on 27th May 2024, the Electoral Services Manager, who represented the Malawi Electoral Commissioner, advised participants to focus on the training content so that they should be able to discharge their duties according to the expected standards.
The training workshop was facilitated by the following facilitators:
1. Wellington Katantha Accrediting facilitator and Lead facilitator
2. Sammy Ng’anjo Workshop facilitator
3. Madalo Nyambose Ttf Complete
Different methods of facilitation were used such as brainstorming, group discussion, case studies as well as lecturing among others.
At the end of each day, participants evaluated the training using forms provided to them. Through their responses, participants were satisfied with the way facilitators delivered the training and expressed satisfaction with the content shared.
At the end of the training the 25 participants received certificates of completion. There were 9 males and 16 females. The training was closed on 29th May 2024 and the Deputy Chief Elections Officer at the Malawi Electoral Commission, Mr Andy Kamkwalala, delivered the closing remarks and presented certificates to the participants. In his remarks he urged the participants to the training to make use of the knowledge gained in the training for the betterment of the organization of activities in the 2025 elections.
A snapshot of the topics covered during the training is presented in the table below:
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTORAL ADMINISTRATION
LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND REFORM
VOTER REGISTRATION
ü Elections in a global context
ü How do elections link to democratic governance.
ü Code of conduct for EMBs
ü Impropriety/corruption
ü Introduction to Electoral System,
ü EMB bodies, functions.
ü Introduction to Electoral planning: electoral cycle.
ü MEC activities up to 2025.
ü Stakeholders in Electoral process, focus, roles.
ü Institutional excellence and MEC values
ü The nature and purpose of law.
ü What is legal/illegal?
ü Hierarchy of laws
ü Purpose of legal framework for electoral process in Malawi.
ü Elements of legal framework for electoral process.
ü Malawi.
ü Constitutional, legislative, regulations, and procedures provisions.
ü Guiding principles for EMBS code of conduct,
ü Electoral law reform in Malawi.
ü Changes in electoral laws in Malawi
ü Impact of law reform
ü Potential roles of EMBs in electoral reforms
ü What is voter registration? Why fresh voter registration in Malawi?
ü Boundary delimitation and voter registration.
ü Guiding principles of voter registration.
ü Franchise criteria.
ü Types/categories of voter registers.
ü Legal framework and procedures for voter registration in Malawi.
ü Quality assurance in voter registration.
ü Elements of good voter register.
ü Elements of voter registration system.
ü Adoption of new technologies for voter registration.
ü Getting to the final product.
ü Operational framework for voter registration
