In Malawi, elections are emotive events laced with several trust issues.
Here mentions of elections seldom go without stirring fears and speculation of rigging or irregularities likely to sour the vote.
In their circles, Malawians are demanding elections everyone can trust and accept, without sparking violent protests and court wrangles.
Many still recall the fiery series of protests in the wake of the messy presidential election of 2029, which was later nullified by the court due to irredeemable irregularities.
The marchers also chanted slogans questioning the reliability of international election observers, who jet into the country a few days into polling and leave shortly afterwards, proclaiming the election free and fair while the locals question irredeemable irregularities in the electoral process.
For months, Malawians took to the streets, demanding what the Human Rights Defenders Coalition termed electoral justice. Meanwhile, President Lazarus Chakwera, then leader of opposition in Parliament, and deceased vice-president Saulos Chilima were in the High Court demanding the cancellation of then president Peter Mutharika’s razor-thin re-election due to the massive use of tippex to alter results.
Lilongwe city resident Akim Mwale was in the crowd when the two leaders marched shoulder to shoulder with the the protesters, demanding an annulment and a retake of the scratched presidential vote.
The registered voter says the country cannot afford another mess the size of the mass protests that disrupted livelihoods and business for almost a year.
He states: “As we count down to the 2025 General Elections, the Malawi Electoral Commision and all stakeholders should see to it that we do the right things to avoid the costly but preventable blunders we witnessed in 2019.
“We don’t want to waste time protesting against a badly managed election, but doing things that will uplift our lives, families and country. The road to credible elections begins now. What we do today will define how the citizenry welcome the outcome.”
The citizen, who participated in two vigils in Lilongwe City Centre four years ago, urges the electoral management body to be attentive and responsive to citizen concerns throughout the electoral process, including voter registration.
MEC reports that it has registered over seven million voters despite low turnout and concerns that gaps in the issuance of the citizens’ identity cards—the sole legally accepted proof for voter identification—would exclude some eligible voters.
Meanwhile, four organisations have teamed up in an effort to ensure credible, transparent and peaceful elections next year.
The coalition for credible elections include the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Public Affairs Committee (PAC), the Gender Justice Unit and mHub.
They have launched Chisankho Watch, a citizen elections observation coalition in Malawi .
Its primary purpose is to observe elections to enhance transparency, inclusivity and credibility throughout the electoral process, says Chisankho Watch board chairperson, Bishop Gilford Matonga.
He touts the observatory to become an inclusive and evidence-based coalition that fosters innovative and sustainable election observation practices in the country, which hogged the global limelight for saying No to preventable flaws in election management.
He says: “This coalition is important because it will help ensure that the coming elections are credible, free, fair and that Malawians should be satisfied.
“We, therefore, encourage Malawians to never give up but participate in the electoral process and trust that there are independent institutions like Chisankho Watch working tirelessly throughout the electoral process to ensure that the people’s will is respected.”
He continued that the organisations organisation determined to keep an eye on the next poll are trustworthy, with a long-standing history in elections observation.
The likes of PAC and CCJP boasts deploying trained observers that are non-partisan in the past elections.
Matonga said Chisankho Watch affiliates have evidence-based reputation in data collection.
This, he said, assures Malawians of the reliability of the coalition’s observations throughout the electoral process underway.
CCJP promises that the coalition will promote meaningful citizen participation by engaging diverse stakeholders, including marginalised groups in elections observation and civic education.
“Among others, Chisankho Watch will conduct observation of the fresh voter registration process which is about to begin, hold advocacy engagements with key stakeholders like MEC, process and verify results of the 2025 elections for transparency, and observe the pre-and post-elections environment in Malawi. The coalition envisages credible, inclusive and transparent elections for a peaceful and democratic Malawi,” said CCJP national coordinator Boniface Chibwana, now head of the Centre of Multiparty Democracy.
In his keynote address during the launch, electoral governance expert Dr Henry Chingaipe said local electoral observers strengthens election transparency, mitigates electoral manipulation and identifies legal gaps and deviations from the law.
He said domestic observation mission help determine the legitimacy of the government that comes out from the electoral process.
MEC commissioner Dr Sarah Limbikani Kamlongera, said the coalition will enhance collaboration between the election management body and the organisations that are party to national efforts to deliver a transparent and credible election in 2025.
“The coalition allows for partnership and collaboration that will ease communication on electoral issues and which help MEC to develop more confidence in the entire process knowing that every stakeholder out there is watching and is interested in the electoral process,” she said.
To strengthen its capacity to gauge the dos and don’ts in the September 16 2025 electoral process, Chisankho Watch is receiving technical assistance from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) with funding from USAid, the US agency for international development.
