Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says results of the September 16 2025 General Elections will be transmitted both physically and electronically from constituency and district tally centres to the national tally centre.
In her response to concerns from political party representatives on the use of Election Management Devices (EMDs) for results management in the next elections, MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said the electoral body is still developing a module for results management using EMDs and that once it is ready stakeholders will be consulted.
During a two-day dialogue meeting organised by Democracy Works Foundation in Lilongwe which closed on Friday, Alliance for Democracy (Aford) secretary general Linda Limbe questioned the change in MEC’s approach.
She quoted former MEC chairperson Chifundo Kachale as having previously indicated that the devices would only be used for registration purposes.
Said Limbe: “I attended both meetings where the former chairperson stressed that the devices would only be used for registration. Does this mean that decisions change with new leadership?”
But Mtalimanja clarified that the electoral body’s policy documents and operational plan specify that both physical and electronic methods will be used for result transmission.
She said: “I don’t have the context under which the former chairperson made those comments, but our policy documents are clear on this matter.”
During the meeting, some opposition parties also faulted MEC for contracting Smartmatic, an information technology (IT) company that became the sole bidder after two other companies withdrew, to supply EMDs and software.
In his contribution, United Democratic Front (UDF) secretary general Genarino Lemani queried MEC’s procurement practices, saying they were flawed and not in tandem with best practices. He said this breeds suspicion and erodes public trust.
Responding to the concerns, MEC director of legal services David Matumika Banda said that fewer than five companies globally are capable of developing the required election management devices and that even if MEC were to re-advertise, the same companies would likely be the only bidders.
Meanwhile, Mtalimanja, a judge of the High Court of Malawi, has cautioned electoral stakeholders and the public against making unfounded claims about Smartmatic to avoid potential lawsuits.
The two-day meeting was organised to reflect on past electoral processes aimed at identifying strategies to enhance electoral integrity.
