MEC Engages Six Pre-Election Observer Missions Ahead of 2025 General Election

As Malawi moves closer to its historic tripartite General Election scheduled for 16 September 2025, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has met with six international pre-election observer missions as part of its commitment to transparency, openness, and international electoral best practice.

The meetings, which took place between April and June 2025, included high-level delegations from the African Union (AU), COMESA, European Union (EU), SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC), African Centre for Governance (ACG), and most recently, the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries (ECF-SADC).

In her remarks during the meeting with the ECF-SADC delegation on 5 June 2025 at MEC Head Office in Lilongwe, MEC Chairperson Justice Dr. Annabel Mtalimanja emphasized the importance of regional and international cooperation in strengthening democratic processes.

“Your presence here affirms the regional vision of building electoral excellence through mutual support and knowledge exchange,” she said. “We are determined to ensure that the 2025 General Elections are credible, transparent, inclusive, and peaceful.”

The Commission’s engagements with observer missions included:

1. African Union and COMESA – A joint pre-election technical mission met MEC on 1 April 2025 at BICC, followed by a debrief on 4 April at MEC Head Office.
2. European Union – An expert team from the EU’s pre-election assessment mission held a consultative meeting on 1 April 2025 at MEC Head Office.
3. SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC) – Held initial talks on 6 May 2025 at Sunbird Capital, followed by a debrief session on 9 May at the same venue.
4. African Union (AU) Multistakeholder Dialogue on Women’s Participation – On 12 May, MEC engaged with a high-level AU delegation during the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Women’s Political Participation and Prevention of Violence Against Women, coinciding with the conference held from 12–13 May 2025 at Sunbird Capital.
5. African Centre for Governance (ACG) – Met with the Commission on 13 May 2025, with a follow-up debrief held on 16 May.
6. ECF-SADC Pre-Election Mission – The most recent meeting was held on 5 June 2025, with a debrief scheduled for 7 June 2025.

During the meetings, Malawi Electoral Commission shared updates on its readiness for the elections, including key milestones such as:

• Completion of the inspection and verification of the voters’ register
• Opening of the nomination phase for all categories of elections
• Finalization of procurement for electoral materials, including ballots, ink, and lighting equipment
• Efforts to curb disinformation and fake news through strategic communications and media literacy
• Strengthening of the Election Dispute Resolution Framework and internal complaints mechanisms

Justice Mtalimanja also highlighted the Commission’s continued engagement with recommendations from previous observer missions. “We have reviewed and acted on all previous ECF-SADC recommendations. We believe in continuous improvement and are committed to learning from peer experiences,” she said.

The Chairperson reaffirmed the Commission’s vision to deliver an election that could serve as a regional model for credibility, efficiency, and integrity. As Malawi gears up for nomination, campaigning, and polling, the input from these observer missions will inform adjustments and improvements to ensure a smooth and trusted process.

The observer engagements underscore MEC’s strong commitment to international best practices and Malawi’s dedication to safeguarding democratic values through collaboration, transparency, and dialogue.