By Chisomo Phiri
A group calling itself ‘Independent Civil Society’ has warned that opinion polls released close to general elections may lead to the low turnout on the voting day.
Speaking at a press briefing in Mzuzu on Saturday, the group leader,Ceaser Kondowe, acknowledged that opinion polls play an important role in democratic discourse but warned against their misuse to pre-empt voters.

Said Kondowe:“While opinion polls are important, they should not be used in a way that discourages people from voting.
“We saw in 2019 that only 74.9 percent of registered voters turned up for the polls, and in 2020, the figure dropped further to 64.81 percent.”
He stressed that opinion polls must be conducted professionally, with proper sampling methods, to avoid misleading the public.
“These surveys have the potential to create voter apathy because people may feel the outcome is already predetermined,” added Kondowe .
The remarks come in the wake of an Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR) pre-election survey, which shows that president Lazarus Chakwera has enjoyed a post-nomination boost ahead of the September 16 General Election.
According to the findings, Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has gained five percentage points, while his main challenger, former president Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has dropped by two percentage points compared to previous survey results.