Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has urged political parties and other electoral stakeholders to actively participate in the ongoing post-election review process to strengthen future elections and promote democratic governance in the country.
Speaking during a 2025 General Elections Review Engagement Meeting with political parties in Lilongwe on Wednesday, MEC Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said the consultations are part of a broader assessment of last year’s elections aimed at improving future electoral processes.
Mtalimanja said every election presents unique experiences, achievements and challenges that must be carefully reviewed to strengthen public confidence in electoral institutions.
“Every election is unique and offers valuable lessons. Successes must be identified and recorded, while challenges must be carefully examined so that future elections can be improved,” said Mtalimanja.
She stressed that the review exercise should not be viewed as a platform for assigning blame or reopening political contests but as an opportunity to reflect on experiences and identify practical solutions ahead of future elections.
“This review process is not intended to be a forum for assigning blame or reopening political contests. It is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on our experiences and generate practical recommendations for future improvements,” she added.
Mtalimanja said the commission is consulting stakeholders on issues including voter registration, voter transfers, constituency delimitation, polling operations, results management and stakeholder engagement.
She encouraged political parties to fully participate in the reform discussions, saying recommendations from the review process will contribute to administrative and legal reforms ahead of the 2030 General Elections.
“The discussions and conversations we are having today will eventually culminate into administrative and legal reforms that will guide the 2030 General Elections. Let us fully participate now so that issues are addressed in good time,” said Mtalimanja.
MEC Chief Elections Officer Andrew Mpesi commended political parties and stakeholders for their participation during the 2025 General Elections, describing their involvement as important to Malawi’s democratic process.
“We must begin preparations now so that when Malawi goes to the polls in 2030, the elections will be even better and demonstrate to the world that Malawi is a mature democratic nation,” said Mpesi.
Board Chairperson for the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), Ben Chakhame, welcomed the engagement, saying early consultations would help stakeholders address concerns in advance and avoid misunderstandings before future elections.
“We had issues with technology and voter registration during the previous election. We need to agree on these areas and also clarify stakeholder roles in voter and civic education as we prepare for 2030,” said Chakhame.
The review is being conducted under the United Nations Development Programme supported Malawi Electoral Support Project and seeks to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improving electoral management and stakeholder participation.
MEC expects to conclude stakeholder engagements on the 2025 General Elections review by the end of this month.
