| [Malawi] Malawi Electoral Commission meets with Police high command ahead of 2025 polls |
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| Last updated 2023-11-27 |
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Malawi Electoral Commission meets with Police high command ahead of 2025 polls
With less than two years to go to the 16 September 2025 General Election, the Malawi Electoral Commission held a meeting with the high command of the Malawi Police Service to reflect on past performance and plan for the next elections.
The meeting drew the participation of the Commissioners of the Malawi Electoral Commission led by Chairman Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale and the Commissioners of the Malawi Police Service led by the Inspector General of the Malawi Police Service, Madam Merlyine Yolamu.
In his remarks, Justice Dr. Kachale expressed gratitude to the Police Service for all the support rendered during electoral activities and thanked them for being available for the high-level engagement with 23 months to go before the elections. “With about 23 months to go, we are increasingly witnessing posturing and preparations for the elections by various stakeholders. It is, therefore, right and proper that we also engage each
other on how we collaborate to ensure
that the elections in September 2025 are held in an environment where everyone
who is eligible has been given an
opportunity to participate without being hindered by fears of violence or intimidation. At the Commission, we believe collaborating with other
stakeholders while implementing our
mandate does not undermine our independence, to the contrary, it helps us
implement it better,” he said. He added, “That is why the Commission has from time to
time signed memorandums with other
legislative bodies or even formed task forces, just to ensure that there is
effective implementation of activities”. He mentioned that the Commission has an operational plan that outlines all activities to be implemented up to the polling day and beyond. “If we keep everything to ourselves, we are doing a disservice and denying ourselves the opportunity to benefit better from the services of the Police. If we share everything now, it will give room for engagement and collaboration. What we expect from the Malawi Police Service is transcending the usual services like escorts and placement of officers at centre,” he said. The MEC Chairman announced that the Commission would resuscitate the security task force as a platform for engaging with all security institutions regarding election issues.
He also praised all police officers
who work with commitment when engaged in MEC activities and expressed commitment to the Commission to improve their welfare. On her part, the Inspector General
of the Malawi Police Service
underscored the constitutional obligation of the police to
guarantee that all citizens, regardless of their social status, gender, identity, age, disability, or any other
distinguishing factor, have equal access to
and to enjoy their democratic rights fully and freely. “It is therefore very important that the Police and electoral
security stakeholders develop strategies
to enhance our capacity to manage the security
of the forthcoming elections to the satisfaction of the public. It is against
this view that I commend
the Malawi Electoral Commission for the timing of this meeting.
2025 appears a long way today, but going by the previous
elections, we recognize that we have an enormous task ahead of us,”
she said. During the
meeting, the MEC Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Andrew Mpesi, presented on the role of the Malawi Police Service during elections and highlighted the electoral legal framework,
the electoral cycle, electoral dispute resolution mechanisms, and the general responsibilities of the police in ensuring
the conduct of free, fair, and credible
elections. He concluded his presentation by suggesting the establishment of an Election
Security Forum, which would
serve as the central hub for addressing all matters related to election security. Superintendent Bushiri Bushiri delivered a presentation from the Police Service that focused on the mandate of the police, reflected on past electoral experiences, and the status of preparations for the 2025 elections. |
