Tensions Soar as Credibility Questions Grow Following Audit Block and Multiple Registration Scandal
With the 2025 general elections fast approaching, political tensions are rising sharply as the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) accuses the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) of blocking transparency and compromising electoral credibility. This comes amid MEC’s own admission that multiple voter registration cases have been flagged across the country, further shaking public confidence in the integrity of the vote.
At the center of the uproar is MEC’s refusal to allow an independent audit of the Electoral Management System (EMS) , the digital infrastructure central to voter verification and management.
DPP Secretary General Paul Mukhito took to Facebook to condemn the decision, calling it a missed opportunity to uphold accountability and public trust.
“MEC has missed a crucial opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and credible elections,” wrote Mukhito, in a post that quickly sparked national debate.
The post generated intense public outcry, with opposition supporters urging the DPP to seek legal redress.
“Take MEC to court. If you don’t, then MCP will be the winner,” commented Joseph Mwawongolo, echoing widespread frustration over the commission’s perceived lack of openness.
MEC defended its decision, stating that the opposition bloc failed to provide strong justification for auditing the EMS. The commission also raised concerns that such access could jeopardise the system’s security and fuel political unrest.
However, critics argue that MEC’s resistance comes at a time when transparency is crucial, following the commission’s own acknowledgment recently of multiple registration incidents, which it says affect 0.2 percent of the 7.2 million registered voters.
Whistleblower Arrest Sparks Further Outrage
However, the credibility crisis escalated when whistleblower Julius Mithi revealed first hinted of multiple registration incidents on the voter roll. Instead of being commended, Mithi was arrested. The arrest reinforced fears that efforts to independently verify voter data are being suppressed; and with it the credibility of 2025 Malawi tripartite elections.
MEC also previously rejected an audit request from an independent investigator, dismissing him on grounds that he was acting on behalf of a political stakeholder.
In December 2024, MEC faced additional scrutiny after tech experts and political parties exposed a loophole in the EMS that allowed double registration. Reports from Lilongwe and surrounding districts confirmed that some individuals were able to register twice.
At least one person was arrested in Lilongwe, an MCP stronghold, although the true scale of the issue remains unknown except through data published by MEC only.
The context has added fuel to lingering suspicions. For example, in both the 2019 and 2020 presidential elections, MCP’s Lazarus Chakwera garnered over 500,000 votes in Lilongwe, while DPP’s Peter Mutharika received fewer than 80,000. This is despite the district having about 750,000 eligible voters and over a million registered for 2019 elections. The presidential elections in 2020 were only held after the judiciary nullified the 2019 presidential elections on serious irregularities.
Now, with over 1.2 million voters registered in Lilongwe for 2025, concerns of voter roll padding and data manipulation are resurfacing.
MEC Confirms Multiple Registrations But Downplays the Risk
The Malawi electoral body has acknowledged instances of multiple registration impacting nearly every district countrywide. However, MEC insists that the issue is only affecting less than 15 thousand compared to the 7.2 million voters registered for the September 2025 General Election
While MEC maintains that the multiple registration cases are statistically minor, critics argue that in tight elections, even marginal manipulation can tip the scales and direction of the elections. Now, with the opposition accusing MEC of stonewalling transparency and whistleblowers being silenced, Malawi24 has observed that public confidence is teetering as observed on posts and comments shared on social media
