By The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has embarked on capacitating its district coordinators on strategies to be used in monitoring and reporting issues related to electoral related conflicts and violence.
The trainings are part of the Enhancing Participation of the General Public in the 2025 General Elections project the organization is implementing in 15 districts with support from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) through the Malawi Electoral Support Project (MESP).
This comes against a background of existing gaps in conflict management, resolution and reporting mechanisms as experienced from previous elections.
Some of the trained District Cordinators
During the second series of Training of Trainers TOT for CHRR’s District Cordinators from districts in the north where the project is taking place namely; Nkhatabay, Chitipa and Karonga, CHRR Programs Officer Maxwell Mvula said the goal of the project is to strengthen mechanisms for conflict prevention, mitigation, management and transformation. Past experience has shown that in the run up to elections, probability of electoral related conflict is high yet conflict alert mechanisms for handling the same are either not available or weak.
“We are empowering local structures who will be documenting incidences of political and electoral related violence as they occur, and we have established mechanisms where these will further be reported to relevant stakeholders such as the Malawi Human Rights Commission and Police for resolution and further action. What we want is to ensure such incidences are prevented and managed before, during and after elections” he added.
One of the district coordinators who attended the recent capacity building training in Mzuzu Mavuto Kaunda from Nkhatabay, admitted that conflict is very rampant during elections period and such skills are needed to manage and handle such incidents when and as they occur.
The project also has other components such as provision of civic and voter education, and voter information to the general public for effective participation in the entire electoral process.
As a rights body, CHRR commits to support the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) administer free, fair and credible elections and also observance of justice and human rights in all stages of the electoral process pertaining the 2025 Elections. A 10million voter turnout is possible
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