Elections body calls for reforms

By Pemphero Malimba:

Chisankho Watch has called for legal and policy reforms to enforce campaign regulations, sanctions for violations and improved access to voting in the country.

The organisation said this on Thursday night when it released its report on key findings and recommendations for the September 16, 2025 General Elections in Lilongwe.

Among others, the organisation says it found out that during the voter registration period, there was weak coordination between the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) and National Registration Bureau (NRB), lack of punitive measures for political parties for providing misleading information, new technology introduced to increase efficiency but lacked adequate stakeholder engagement and low voter registration numbers.

“During the campaign period, there was high levels of voter education, silencing the Malawi 2063 agenda in the campaign period, limited participation in presidential debates, prevalence of handouts and lack of sanctions for offenders, intimidation of journalists during the presentation of nomination papers and late changes to increase voting access,” reads part of the report.

On the other hand, the organisation has found out that during the election period, the election day process was well conducted, there was untimely engagement by the Mec and premature self-declaration of victory.

“Chisankho Watch observed that several presidential candidates prematurely announced themselves as winners while the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) was still releasing results on a rolling basis. These unilateral and illegal declarations usurped the mandate of the commission, heightened public anxiety, and contributed to unnecessary tension in the period preceding the formal announcement of electoral results,” the report says.

The organisation has since recommended that there should be legal and policy reform to enforce campaign period regulations, sanctions for violations, improved access to voting and inclusivity and enhancement of political participation.

“Introduce clear punitive measures for candidates and parties who engage in vote-buying or other prohibited campaign practices, enforced by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. Additionally, Chisankho Watch recommends that this office should be properly staffed and given a budget to carry out its mandate,” the report says.

It also calls for administrative and cooperative reform for Mec.

“Mec should establish a structured mechanism for civil society and other stakeholders to inspect the voter roll under clear safeguards that do not violate data security protocols, while at the same time ensuring unhindered access to all critical voters’ roll verification. Malawi police service (should) enhance responsiveness and political parties to refrain from declaring themselves as winners,” the report indicates. information that facilitates

Speaking in an interview after launching the report, Chisankho Watch board chairperson Bishop Gilford Matonga said the organisation would be engaging concerned stakeholders to ensure that the reforms have been made.

“For example, we would want to see that we engage the Malawi Electoral Commission on issues that we see as gaps on the way they functioned and if there is a need for electoral reforms, how they can work together with Parliament and ensure that laws are made in order to ensure that we have smooth election in this country,” Matonga said.

He said he expects the Legal Affairs Committee (Lac) of Parliament to play a huge role in the enforcement of the recommendations.

“The whole purpose of bringing the Legal Affairs Committee is to ensure that they also propagate the concept of bringing in the necessary legislation in Parliament that supports smooth elections in this country,” he said.

Lac chairperson Gilbert Khonyongwa said the committee had taken note of the recommendations and would lobby for action among members of Parliament.

“From my committee we will take the recommendations aboard, go through them and make necessary processes in terms of lobbying our colleagues on the issues that have been made,” he said.

He said he was not surprised with the findings as the elections were marred by various challenges.

“I am very impressed with the recommendations. They have been precisely pointing at the gaps and indeed you would actually see that should we work those recommendations I am sure in 2030 we will have a much better election process,” he said.

The organisation, a citizen-led, non-partisan election observation coalition, is composed of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Public Affairs Committee, Gender and Justice Unit and Mhub.

The organization observed all phases of the voter registration exercise, the nomination of candidates, the campaign period, election day, and the post-election and transitional process.