Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says it has until close of business today to submit nominees for appointment as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioners.
The new commissioners will replace Emmanuel Fabiano and Caroline Mfune whose terms will expire this month and Francis Kasaila who resigned on April 23 2025.
The trio was nominated by DPP and formed the electoral commission alongside chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja, a judge of the High Court of Malawi, as well as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) nominees Richard Chapweteka, the Reverend Phillip Kambulire and Limbikani Kamlongera.
In an interview yesterday, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said the party has received a request from Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) to submit three names to take up the positions in the commission.
He said they are mandated to pick new commissioners since the tenure of the commissioners previously nominated by the party is about to end.
Said Namalomba: “I can confirm that we have received a request from OPC for us to submit nominations for the positions. The deadline is tomorrow [today]. I will give details once I get information on the names.
“The tenure of office for our commissioners ends this May. That is why we received that request from OPC. So, for continuity purposes, we will submit three names, whether of the current commissioners or new names.”
In an interview yesterday, MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda also confirmed that the party was requested to submit a name to replace commissioner Richard Chapweteka (MCP) whose tenure was nearing expiry.
“We have since responded through the OPC,” he said.
President Lazarus Chakwera appointed Fabiano, Mfune, Kasaila and Chapweteka in June 2021 nearly two weeks after the High Court of Malawi dismissed their predecessors’ appointments as unlawful.
Kasaila, who also served as MEC Media, Civic, and Voter Education Committee chairperson, said he resigned on personal grounds. However, it emerged that he secured a DPP parliamentary elections ticket in primaries in Nsanje District.
In a statement released on April 25 2025, MEC director of media and public relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa applauded Kasaila for his service and contributions to the electoral process.
Section 10 of the Malawi Electoral Commission Act says subject to the Constitution and to Section 11 (3), any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall not affect its decisions, the performance of its functions or the exercise of its powers under the Constitution or any other written law.
Section 75 (1) of the Constitution says the commission shall consist of such other members, not being less than six, as may be appointed in accordance with an Act of Parliament.
