Britain for free, fair elections
The British Government has urged Malawi to conduct free, fair and credible elections whose results will reflect the will of the people.
British High Commission charge d’affaires Gary Leslie said this on Monday in Lilongwe during the 70th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
He said: “We are looking forward to see Malawi conducting free, fair and credible elections. We expect to see the will of the people reflected in the results of the elections. We would like to see free, fair and balanced election campaigning that reflects the will of the people. We expect the Commonwealth election observer team to come into the country soon.”
Leslie said Malawi is an equal partner of Britain and encourages it to continue participating in Commonwealth activities.
He commended the media for well-balanced elections reporting, describing it as the best he has seen in recent past.
On the majority of registered voters being the youth and first time voters, Leslie advised political parties to capture their imagination, saying it is key to successful inclusive elections.
He said Malawi needs to embrace policies that would empower the youth to transform the country.
In his remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emmanuel Fabiano said Malawi continues to benefit from the Commonwealth through initiatives like scholarships.
He said government is committed to holding free, fair and credible elections, and extended a welcome to all election observers, including those from the Commonwealth.
Said Fabiano: “Let me assure you that this will be the most peaceful elections that we will have in Malawi. Politicians are concentrating on issues that affect people. We are looking forward to free, fair and credible elections.” The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 53 independent and equal sovereign States whose shared values and principles are inscribed in the Commonwealth Charter. The last country to join the Commonwealth was Rwanda in 2009
