Divergent views have emerged on calls for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi to resign.
A group called Citizens for Credible Elections is tomorrow scheduled to hold demonstrations in the country’s four regions aimed to force Mtalimanja and Mpesi to resign for allegedly being compromised to preside over free, fair and credible elections.
But the Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum (Cseif) is against these calls.
In their notice of protests to Lilongwe City Council dated June 18 2025, the citizens’ group coordinated by Sylvester Namiwa and Edward Kambanje also cited MEC’s refusal to have the election management system (EMS) audited.
However, the demands raise practicability questions as resignation of the MEC chair would mean going through the appointment process which involves the Judicial Service Commission and the President while a vacancy of CEO would have to be advertised.
In an interview yesterday, Namiwa argued that their demands for resignation are feasible, a precedent was set in 2020 when the courts prescribed a period for a fresh presidential election to be held.
He said: “I can challenge you that what we are demanding is transparency. Let them bow down to the voice of the people. How hard is it to allow for an independent audit?
“If they cannot meet conditions for occupying a public office, then why should we keep them? Trust is the key word. We want an outcome that will be welcomed by all.”
But in a statement, Cseif chairperson Benedicto Kondowe dismissed the calls arguing that if concerns about electronic devices were genuine, it would be inconsistent for any political party, including the Democratic Progressive Party to retain their commissioners since they participated in MEC decisions as a collective entity.
Said Kondowe: “Decisions on the use of electronic management devices are not the sole responsibility of the MEC chairperson but are made collectively by the commission in accordance with Section 11(3) and (5) of the Electoral Commission Act.
“Specifically, subsection (5) states that decisions are made by majority vote of the commissioners present with the chairperson only casting an additional vote in the event of a tie. This underscores the collective nature of MEC’s decision-making processes.”
Meanwhile, MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa has said they encourage all groups with concerns or proposals to follow formal procedures by approaching the commission directly.
“The commission respects this right and would never seek to curtail it in any way. We believe that the public is in the best position to assess and judge the motivation behind any demonstrations, particularly those related to electoral matters.
“The commission remains committed to transparency and inclusivity and continues to engage with stakeholders through established channels.”
