The delay in the commencement of the voter registration exercise has sparked a wave of criticism from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the UTM party, and the United Democratic Front (UDF).
According to the electoral calendar governing the 2025 general elections, released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the voter registration exercise was scheduled to start this September, but the electoral body has instead said a new date will be announced in due course.
Announcing the postponement of the exercise to electoral stakeholders in Lilongwe, MEC Chairperson Justice Annabell Mtalimanja stressed that the changes at the start of the exercise were to pave the way for a pilot voter registration exercise, which was slated for this month, but the exercise has also been shifted to a later date.
According to Mtalimanja, the exercise was to allow allow the Commission to test electoral gadgets, in readiness for the actual registration process.
However, Mtalimanja emphasized that the change will not affect the execution of activities as planned on the electoral calendar.
The postponement of the exercise has, however, raised eyebrows, and some electoral stakeholders are questioning the preparedness as well as the credibility of MEC in running the 2025 polls.
UTM publicity secretary Felix Njawala told Malawi24 that the delay has the potential to cause confusion and frustration among voters and predicts a possibility of many eligible voters missing an opportunity to get registered on the voter’s roll.
“With these kinds of inconsistencies, we have serious doubts about MEC’s readiness to run a credible election. The Commission needs to show that they are organized and consistent if they want the public to have confidence in the election results. Right now, it’s hard to feel assured that everything will run smoothly,” said Njawala.
On the requirement of a National ID as the only proof of voter registration, Njawala described the development as unfair.
He said: “While having a standardized ID is important, the reality is that not everyone has been able to get one, and this rule could prevent many eligible voters from participating in the elections. MEC should either offer alternative forms of identification or work with NRB to speed up the process so that everyone can register without unnecessary obstacles. We will join other parties seeking judicial review on the matter if nothing is done.”
Legislator for Blantyre city central constituency, who is also the newly elected director of legal affairs for the DPP, Chipiliro Mpinganjira, was quoted by the Nation Newspaper wondering if MEC was indeed prepared to deliver credible and fair elections.
Mpinganjira drew back the electoral body to the February 3 2020, constitutional court judgement in the 2019 presidential elections case, which mandates MEC to deliver a credible election.
UDF Secretary General Kandi Padambo said he was worried that MEC has not come out on the actual number of targeted registered voters, arguing that this is pertinent information as time is ticking towards the elections.
Political analyst, Dr. George Chaima has since asked MEC to be consistent in their operations to avoid jeopardizing the electoral process.
“The suspension of the registration exercise raises some concerns since time is ticking. If there is a problem, it is very important to have issues resolved without much effect and damage to the electoral process,” said Chaima.
Chaima also concurs with the UTM party and DPP that sticking to National ID as the only form of identification for one to get registered on the voter’s role is unfair and could lead to other groups of people being denied their constitutional right to vote, though they are legitimate voters.
The 2025 general elections will probably be the hottest and most fiercely contested since the dawn of the multi-party dispensation in Malawi.
