Are you seeing what I am seeing? I am referring to the hullaballoo that has emerged about whether or not to use the National Identity Card (ID) as the only proof to register as voters for the September 16 2025 General Elections. My gut feeling is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which is leading this campaign could just be trying to run away from its own dark shadow.
Over the past two years, the only things that have changed both at the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) are the top personnel heading these institutions. My stand is that when opposition political parties ostensibly led by DPP say they do not want the National ID to be the only proof of identity for registration, they are reacting to the fear of the unknown resulting from the top leadership changes at MEC and NRB over the past three years.
Since 2019 all voter registration exercises have been done using only the National ID as proof of identity. The 2023 amendments to the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act only codified what was already accepted as an electoral practice on the ground (Kachale, C. 2023).
In 2019, the party that was in power was DPP. Why all of a sudden its change of heart on the use of the same? Why this fuss now that the National ID should be deemed insufficient or inadequate as the only proof of identity to register as a voter?
In addition, since the new law became operational on June 15 2023, the commission has successfully conducted several by-elections where new people were able to register as voters using the National ID as the only proof for registration (Kachale, C. 2023).
The only changes that have taken place are that MEC has a new chairperson in the name of Justice Annabel Mtalimanja who replaced Justice Chifundo Kachale following the expiry of his four-year term of office on June 6 2024.
Justice Chifundo was appointed by former president Peter Mutharika on June 7 2020. He replaced embattled Justice Jane Ansah who presided over the disputed 2019 presidential elections.
By all standards as MEC chairperson, Justice Kachale steered the entity exceptionally well, exceeding all expectations. But, unfortunately, like all good things, when his time came to an end, he had to leave the scene. And he did so proudly and honourably. He left a good legacy. I digressed.
Justice Mtalimanja was appointed by President Lazarus Chakwera. This, in my view is what the opposition is reacting to. DPP is undoubtedly steeped in the illusion that the new head of MEC could be manipulated by the ruling administration and used against them.
My suspicion is that DPP’s unfounded fears on requirement for the national ID as the only proof for registration mirror the party’s own sins when it was in government. The saying ‘when you are a witch, you think everyone in the village is also a witch’, seems to ring very true here.
On the other hand, NRB also has a new controlling officer appointed by the current administration.
But get me right. I am not saying that MCP is not capable of doing sinister things during the electoral process. Given the high stakes in a general election, one would be naïve to rule out culpability on the part of a political party fighting to remain in power.
They say ‘set a thief to catch a thief’.
I have said it before and will say it again. DPP and other opposition parties as well as opposition-connected human rights groups are barking the wrong tree. MEC is only an implementing agency. The entity follows the laws made and resources appropriated by the National Assembly.
The opposition is just making noise. They know exactly what to do.
