Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced that collection of nomination papers for aspirants in the September 16 General Election will start on June 10 2025.
In a statement dated May 26 2025, MEC chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi also indicated how nomination fees will be paid by candidates.
He said all parliamentary and local government elections candidates will collect their nomination papers from council offices in their respective districts while presidential hopefuls will collect from the commission’s head office in Lilongwe.
Reads the statement: “Further, the commission wishes to advise that where a political party intends to pay nomination fees on behalf of its candidates, the party must notify the chief elections officer in writing.
“Upon receipt of such notification, the commission will provide further guidance directly to the political party.”
According to the electoral calendar, MEC will close receiving of nomination fees and collection of nomination papers on July 2 2025.
The announcement comes at a time some political parties are yet to finalise or start primaries to identify candidates for the parliamentary and local government elections.
In an inter view yesterday, United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson Dyson Jangiya said the party plans to finalise primaries within the first and second week of June.
He said they did not expect to hold primaries in all the 229 constituencies because some constituencies have onecontestant.
“The nomination has been opened up to May 30 and we will only tell by then, the number of people who have applied,” he said.
In a statement issued on May 21 2025, UTM Party said it will hold primary elections for all constituencies and wards starting from June 1 to June 5 2025.
People’s Party spokesperson Ackson Kalaile Banda said yesterday that they are conducting primaries and hope to conclude by the time MEC opens the window for nominations.
He said by the time MEC starts, they will have concluded since they started with constituencies with more than two candidates competing.
Said Kalaile Banda: “The remaining constituencies will be just endorsements since we have only one candidate contesting.”
Malawi Congress Party secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda said they have concluded the primaries in the Northern and Central Regions and will be headed to the South this week.
“We are good to go and we will be ready by the time MEC opens the window for nominations. We will field candidates in all 229 constituencies,” he said.
Of f icials from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, the National Planning Commission (NPC) has advised political parties and independent presidential candidates intending to contest in the forthcoming polls to ensure that they submit and have their manifestos certified before submitting MEC nominations.
In a statement on May 23 2025, NPC said as of now, the Commission has certified 25 manifestos, 20 from political parties and five from independents.
In a written response yesterday, NPC publ i c relat ions and communications manager Thom Khanje said the deadlines for parties that want to contest in the elections are those set by MEC.
NPC is mandated to vet manifestos for all political parties to make sure that they are aligned to the Malawi 2063 national development strategy.
