The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says public confidence in the electoral body has significantly improved following its management of the 16 September 2025 general election.
MEC’s director of media and public relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa expressed the sentiments in response to an Afrobarometer perception survey published on Monday that reported widespread distrust of the election management body.
The survey, conducted between 2024 and 2025, found that 50 percent of respondents said they do not trust the commission, 46 percent said they do while 4 percent were undecided or declined to answer.
Mwafulirwa argued that the survey does not reflect the current reality because much of the data was gathered before MEC administered the September election.
He said public debate at the time was dominated by debate over the appointment of Judge Annabel Mtalimanja as MEC chairperson, a dispute that, he believes, skewed public opinion.
has improved. I Nation
The debacle surrounding Mtalimanja’s appointment as MEC chairperson led to some civil society organisations holding demonstrations to compel the government to rescind its decision.
They argued that Mtalimanja’s purported affiliations to certain individuals would result in a biased election that would favour the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Some opposition political parties, including the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), then, also wanted Mtalimanja, who is a Judge at the High Court of Malawi, out of MEC.
According to Mwafulirwa, such a scenario may have significantly influenced public opinion and contributed to negative perceptions towards MEC.
But Mwafulirwa said in the aftermath of the general election, the situation has markedly changed.
“The elections were widely commended (both locally and globally) for their professionalism, transparency, and adherence to the law,” he said.
“Various stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, observer missions, opinion leaders, and members of the general public, have publicly acknowledged and praised the commission’s performance.”
Mwafulirwa said such positive assessments are even reflected in observer reports, media interviews, public commentary, and awards conferred to MEC in recognition of its work.
He, therefore, said it is MECs considered view that if such a perception survey were to be conducted at present, the outcome would most likely present a significantly higher level of trust in the electoral management body.
He said: “Notwithstanding this, MEC remains committed to continuously strengthening public trust. The commission does so through transparent communication, stakeholder engagement, continuous improvement of electoral processes, and strict adherence to its constitutional and legal mandate.
“Trust-building is an ongoing process, and the Commission remains open to feedback as it prepares for future electoral cycles.”
In a separate interview, political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche agreed with Mwafulirwa, saying MECs handling of the 2025 general election earned it utmost trust among voters.
He said the people’s perception, especially in the previous year, should be attributed to the court fights on the engagement of Smartmatic Company ahead of the general election.
Mkhutche said at the time, many felt that MEC wanted to rig the election for the then Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
“Looking at how MEC conducted the election, we can say that this perception may not be the same, and MEC has surely redeemed itself.
“As we speak, MEC is in good books with many people, until something to the contrary happens,” he said.
But Centre for Multiparty Democracy executive director Boniface Chibwana said such perceptions often arise when nearing an election, attributing it to misinformation and disinformation promulgated by some electoral stakeholders.
He said this coincides with high political temperatures; hence, people tend to believe whatever particular electoral stakeholders tell them.
Chibwana said: “To mitigate this, it is important that MEC should be engaging with voters directly besides the radio and social media so that people should be asking questions and proper responses be provided.
“We understand MEC engages several electoral stakeholders, but they need to go beyond boardroom engagements; hence, the issue of mistrust will be minimised.”
