Political Parties Act 2018 37. This Act regulates the registration, financing and functioning of political parties. A political party, consisting of not less than one hundred persons in each of the districts of Malawi who are eligible to vote, may apply in writing to the Registrar for registration of the party under the Act. The Registrar may refuse the registration of a political party if the application is not in conformity with the Act. The party that is refused to register may have the decision reviewed by the High Court upon application. In the exercise of his power, the Registrar may deregister a political party on his own motion or by an application of the member of that party if the party does not satisfy the conditions the Act. Such a decision to deregister may be reviewed by the High Court. 38. A political party that has managed to secure more than one-tenth of the national vote in parliamentary elections, shall be entitled to be provided with funds by the state to ensure that, during the life of any parliament, the party has sufficient funds to continue to represent its constituency. The Secretary of Treasury may, on the recommendation of the Registrar, suspend the allocation of funds to a political party if the party has failed to comply with any requirement under the Act. 39. The political party shall have the right to nominate candidates to contest in presidential, parliamentary or local government elections and to campaign for any candidate in the elections, and in excising this right; parties shall endeavor to achieve fair gender representation with an election. The party shall also have the right to organize and conduct public rallies without unlawful interference from the State, other political parties, or any person. The party shall also have the right to freely publish, or import into Malawi, its election campaign materials and to be accorded adequate facilities for access to public information reasonably required for such publication. A party shall have the right to equitable and balanced coverage during presidential, parliamentary and local government elections by the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation. Furthermore, the Act provides that any person shall have the right to access to information received by the Registrar in the exercise of his functions under the Act. 40. A candidate or political party contesting or intending to contest in an election under this Act shall not at any time issue handouts. A person who commits an offence under this 10

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