The Public Affairs Committee (Pac) has defended its recently held stakeholder’s conference, where election management and security issues dominated.
The quasi-religious body held an all-inclusive stakeholders conference with a specific focus on triggers of electoral disputes.
During the meeting, stakeholders discussed and made commitments to ensure a free and nonviolent electoral process.
The issue of elections management devices (EMD), supplied by the Netherlands-based Smartmatic, took centre stage, with the Malawi Police Service quizzed on how it has been handling security issues in the country.
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However, there seems to be discontent among political parties on the issue of EMD use and the auditing of electoral systems as the parties continue making their frustrations known.
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In addition, some civil society organisations have been taking to the street to present their grievances.
Pac spokesperson Gilford Matonga yesterday maintained that the conference was a success.
“We offered an opportunity for all stakeholders to present their concerns and they did. We believe that it was a success. We brought, under one roof, main players such as Mec [Malawi Electoral Commission] officials, police and political parties.
“We gave key stakeholders an opportunity to interrogate and give necessary information. No party showed discontent with how the conference was held and resolutions were adopted by all stakeholders,” Matonga said.
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Matonga’s comment comes at the back of ugly scenes of violence in Lilongwe, when panga-welding men disrupted and beat up members of Citizens for Credible Elections, who wanted to hold demonstrations.
Law enforcers were accused of failing to rescue peaceful protesters from panga-yielding people.
Matonga said there was a need to take into account officials that made their commitments at the indaba but are not adhering to what they said.
“We already have a roadmap to meet with Mec, police and other stakeholders regarding the resolutions that were made and agreed. So, it is a responsibility to take into account all those people that made their commitments at the meeting,” he said.
The National Advocacy Platform Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said while the Pac conference aimed to foster consensus and address contentious issues, it was clear that some political parties were deliberately sticking to their narratives despite the collective resolutions made.
“This reflects a strategic choice to maintain pressure, control public perception and preserve political capital ahead of the 2025 elections. Their refusal to shift positions, even in the face of broad-based consensus, underscores the deeply political nature of these issues.
“So, while the conference created space for dialogue, the post-conference stance of some parties shows that the path to genuine resolution will require more than just meetings—it demands political will, trust-building, and accountability.” Kondowe said.
