A WEB

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has intensified its post-election review of the 2025 General Election through a series of consultative meetings with key electoral stakeholders aimed at identifying lessons, documenting best practices and strengthening future electoral processes.

Unlike previous reviews, the Commission has adopted a thematic approach by engaging stakeholders according to their areas of interest and expertise to encourage focused and meaningful discussions. The review meetings are intended to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to reflect on the conduct of the 2025 General Election, identify successes and challenges, and propose recommendations for future electoral reforms.

Since the commencement of the review exercise, the Commission has held 15 separate meetings with a wide range of electoral stakeholders. These include representatives of political parties, the media, civil society organisations (CSOs), religious and faith leaders, academia, the Judiciary Committee on Elections, Development Partners and international organisations, Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the National Election Security Task Force, the National Election Transport Task Force, telecommunications companies, energy sector institutions, as well as regional meetings involving Malawi Electoral Commission staff who directly managed various aspects of the electoral process.

To ensure objectivity and enhance the credibility of the review process, with the support from UNDP, the Commission engaged two independent consultants—Dr. Augustine Magolowondo and Ms. Hanna Roberts—to facilitate the stakeholder consultations. The consultants are leading discussions, documenting stakeholder perspectives, and will produce an independent report containing recommendations to inform future electoral planning and reforms.

Opening the review meeting with Development Partners and international organisations in Lilongwe on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, described the review exercise as an important institutional learning process that demonstrates the Commission's commitment to continuous improvement.

"The lessons that emerge from post-election reviews such as this one provide an important foundation for future improvements. They help us identify what worked well, where challenges were encountered and what opportunities exist to strengthen future electoral processes. Such reflections are essential for institutional learning and continuous improvement," said Justice Mtalimanja.

She said the Commission values the views of all electoral stakeholders because credible elections are built through collaboration, transparency and shared responsibility.

"This review meeting provides an opportunity for all of us to engage openly and constructively. We welcome your observations, recommendations and perspectives on the 2025 General Election. Your experiences and insights will help inform future planning and contribute to the strengthening of Malawi's electoral processes," she added.

Justice Mtalimanja further thanked Development Partners, diplomatic missions and international organisations for their financial, technical and operational support during the 2025 electoral cycle, noting that sustained partnerships remain essential in strengthening electoral institutions and democratic governance throughout the electoral cycle.

Speaking earlier, MEC Chief Elections Officer Mr. Andrew Mpesi said the stakeholder consultations form part of a broader institutional review aimed at evaluating every stage of the electoral process and identifying opportunities for improvement.

"The Commission is committed to fostering a culture of learning, accountability, transparency and continuous improvement. The lessons that emerge from this review will contribute significantly to strengthening our operational, administrative and strategic approaches as we prepare for future electoral processes," said Mr. Mpesi.

He said the Commission deliberately grouped stakeholders according to their respective sectors to allow participants to discuss issues relevant to their roles in the electoral process and generate practical recommendations that can strengthen future elections.

"Today's review meeting provides an opportunity to reflect on our collective experiences during the 2025 General Election. We wish to examine both the successes and the challenges, identify lessons learned, and generate recommendations that will inform future electoral processes," he said.

Mr. Mpesi also expressed appreciation to Development Partners for their continued support through financial assistance, technical expertise, institutional capacity building, operational support, research and stakeholder engagement initiatives, which contributed significantly to the successful administration of the 2025 General Election.

The Commission expects that recommendations emerging from all stakeholder review meetings will be consolidated into a comprehensive post-election review report. The report will inform future electoral reforms, operational planning, policy development and strategic improvements as Malawi prepares for subsequent electoral cycles.

The post-election review exercise underscores the Malawi Electoral Commission's commitment to transparency, accountability and continuous institutional learning, while reaffirming its resolve to work collaboratively with all electoral stakeholders in strengthening democratic governance in Malawi.​​