Malawi’s four opposition parties, UTM, UDF, DPP and AFORD, have united to express dissatisfaction with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and its Chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja. They have issued a 14-day ultimatum, demanding her resignation.
In a joint letter copied to several stakeholders including the United Nations, the opposition parties further demand termination of SMARTMATIC’s contract, voter registration pause, NRB compliance, manual electoral process, and independent ICT audit.
“We demand that you, Justice Anabel Mtalimanja, must step down as Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission with immediate effect because of your compromised status,” reads part of the letter. “We demand, in the same vain, that the Chief Executive Officer for MEC must resign with immediate effect.”
The four opposition parties declare that their trust in Mtalimanja’s leadership has severely eroded due to the MEC and NRB’s questionable management of the electoral process, rendering the elections neither credible, free, nor fair.
The opposition parties say if the demands are not met after 13th November 2024, they will call for unspecified actions including but not limited to unending vigils at MEC’s head and regional offices.
