Despite pressuring Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to facilitate an audit of the election management system, opposition parties are yet to submit a scope of counter-check, Nation on Sunday has established.
Two weeks ago, during a National Elections Consultation Forum (Necof) meeting in Lilongwe, MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said the electoral body had asked the opposition parties to submit the scope of audit to help the commission make an informed decision on the audit that the parties have been demanding.
In response, the parties indicated that they would meet and develop the scope of audit and submit to MEC within that week.
However, Nation on Sunday has established that MEC is yet to receive the scope of audit.
Speaking in an interview yesterday, People’s Party (PP) secretary general Ben Chakhame said all opposition parties represented in Parliament met and developed the audit scope which is ready for submission.
He said the parties after holding discussions and making inputs, endorsed the audit scope and the next step is submission to MEC.
Said Chakhame: “The election management system leaves a lot to be desired. It is either not capable of handling the election or it is being managed by incompetent people, one of the two applies.
“So, the audit scope is bordering on those areas. We just want clarity on issues bordering on the two.”
However, Chakhame declined to provide detailed information about the scope, only saying the parties want to ensure that the system is not corrupted.
He could also not indicate the exact date for submission.
In a separate interview, United Democratic Front spokesperson Dyson Jangiya confirmed that UDF was party to discussions about the scope of the audit.
Democratic Progressive Party secretary general Peter Mukhito and spokesperson Shadric Namalomba did not pick up their phones when called for comment.
On the other hand, Alliance for Democracy spokesperson Annie Amatullah Maluwa asked for more time to consult while UTM Party secretary general Willet Kalonga said Chakhame was speaking on behalf of the rest of the parties.
Meanwhile, Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe has said while the opposition’s demand is a legitimate call for transparency and accountability, the delays to submit the scope of audit undermines the parties’ credibility and casts doubt on the seriousness of their concerns.
He said the audit is necessary, especially with public trust in elections at stake.
Said Kondowe: “If the opposition truly believes there are flaws in the system, they must urgently submit a well-defined scope, grounded in evidence, to demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.”
On his part, governance expert Moses Mkandawire said a scope of audit should not take the opposition parties forever, considering that they already know what they want to be covered in the audit.
He said such an audit is part of promoting transparency and accountability in the management of elections.
Malawi goes to the polls on September 16 2025 to elect a President, 229 members of Parliament and 500 ward councillors.
