By Pemphero Malimba:
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has called on members of Parliament (MPs) to consider local election observers, journalists and information conduits when amending the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Bill of 2023.
This comes just days before MPs reconvene at the Parliament Building in Lilongwe.
In a Gazette supplement dated July 25, 2025 and signed by President Lazarus Chakwera, it was announced that MPs should reconvene on August 5, 2025 to discuss and amend the electoral law.
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Among other things, the proposed changes aim to allow officers who will be working elsewhere on election day to cast their votes.
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The law currently states that “a registered voter shall exercise his or her right to vote at a polling station located at the registration centre where he or she is registered or has been transferred to in accordance with this Act.”
CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa said in a statement that the organisation believes considering local election observers and journalists, rather than just election staff and security agents, would demonstrate the country’s commitment to democratic participation.
“CHRR is concerned that the Bill does not extend the same consideration to accredited local election observers and journalists, who are also deployed away from their home constituencies during elections.
“Both groups play a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability and the free flow of credible information during the electoral process,” the statement says.
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It adds that MPs should recognise that the right to vote is not only constitutional but fundamental for all Malawians.
“By extending this right to accredited local observers and journalists, Malawi would demonstrate its unwavering commitment to democratic participation, civil responsibility and human rights,” the statement says.
Presidential spokesperson Anthony Kasunda told Times last week that Chakwera had decided to ensure every Malawian has the chance to vote.
“In order to allow polling staff, representatives of candidates and political parties, as well as officers from security agencies, to vote at the polling stations where they are deployed, the President has exercised his powers to reconvene Parliament,” Kasunda said.
Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye also confirmed to Times that Parliament would comply with the directive.
Reports suggest that over 50,000 people may be unable to vote during the elections due to being deployed outside their registered areas.
Chakwera issued the directive following calls from the Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum and others for him to invoke his powers under section 59(1)(a) of the constitution, or, where necessary, section 67(4), to remedy a legal gap that threatened to disenfranchise tens of thousands of Malawians in the September 16, 2025 general elections.
