Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has called for deliberate inclusion of youth, women and persons with disabilities in elections, saying their full participation is essential for strengthening the country’s democracy.
MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said inclusivity remains one of the commission’s core values, as such, political parties and the community need to create spaces for them to fully participate in the electoral process.
She made the call on Saturday when she launched the Blantyre West Constituency by-election at Chigumukire Teachers Development Centre in Blantyre.
MEC did not conduct the election on September 16 2025 due to the death of a candidate Michael Chisala shortly before the polling date.
Mtalimanja, a judge of the High Court of Malawi, stressed that democratic legitimacy is strengthened when marginalised groups are given meaningful space to contest and influence leadership through active participation in elections.
She said: “It is very imperative that the youth, women and people with disabilities fully participate in the election, not just as voters but as candidates as well.
“Our call and encouragement to political parties and the entire community is to ensure that they intentionally create opportunities for them to engage freely and confidently in all electoral processes.”
Mtalimanja called for issue-based campaigns that are free from intimidation or violence as inflammatory conduct risks destabilising the prevailing peace.
She said maintaining calm before, during and after the election is critical to avoid conflicts and ensure credible outcomes accepted by all contestants and voters.
Blantyre district commissioner Alex Mdooko echoed the call for fairness, saying local leaders and traditional authorities should act as impartial referees to level the political playing field.
He cautioned against monopolising of campaign venues and urged Malawians to embrace peace, respect competition and accept both victory and defeat with dignity.
Said Mdooko: “Levelling the playing field brings fairness. In a democracy, elections are a competition, so when aspirants compete there will always be one winner and loser. We have to win with dignity and lose with dignity.
“Traditional authorities and local leaders are supposed to be fair referees. They must not tolerate block booking of venues, but accept and welcome every candidate.”
On Thursday, MEC launched the parliamentary and local government by-elections set for March 17 2026in five constituencies and nine wards across the country.
The vacancies in the constituencies and wards arose due to various factors, including postponement by MEC, deaths of candidates, nullification of elections, court orders and judgements.
