The High Court in Blantyre has dismissed an application by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that sought to block the appointment of Andrew Mpesi as Chief Elections Officer of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
In a ruling delivered on August 20, 2025, Justice Mandala Mambulasa held that the DPP had not shown that its rights or freedoms were violated by the appointment. He said the party, therefore, lacked sufficient interest, or locus standi, to pursue judicial review proceedings.
The DPP, represented through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, had argued that Mpesi was not “apolitical” as required in the MEC’s job advertisement.
It pointed to Mpesi’s previous public expressions of support for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and its leader, President Lazarus Chakwera, as evidence that he did not meet the criteria.
Alongside the review, the DPP also sought an injunction to stop Mpesi from carrying out his duties while the matter was in court.
Opposition parties and some civil society organisations have also been calling for the resignation of Mpesi and MEC Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja, accusing the two of lacking impartiality and allegedly tilting the electoral playing field in favour of the governing Malawi Congress Party.
