MEC Calls for Citizen Participation in 2025 Elections
04 August 2024
Analysts have warned that the country may experience political unrest should the political stakeholders resist change and evade a transparent electoral process ahead of the 2025 polls.
There have been protests in Mozambique in the aftermath of the October 9 elections, the experts warn such events may happen in Malawi.
Vincent Rangel, a political expert has tipped Malawi to embrace stakeholders involvement and resolve any doubts in the electoral process to evade the Mozambique situation next year.
"Where people have started doubting the transparency in the elections, then automatically there is going to be a problem. These issues need to be looked into otherwise, we will experience Mozambique's situation," he warned.
Another political analyst, Victor Chipofya, told Zodiak Online Wednesday that Mozambique is reaping from attempts to resist the change by most African leaders and challenging the will of the people.
"When people need change, there is nobody that is going to stop that change. The problem with most of the African leaders is that they don't want to accept the voice of the people through the ballot," he said.
Chipofya added that "Malawi should learn from Mozambique's scenario which emanates from lack of accommodating electoral concerns, stakeholders involvement, continued doubts of the process and attempting to challenge the will of the people".
Meanwhile, in responding to parties' concerns Wednesday, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja has renewed commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability throughout the electoral process.
Justice Mtalimanja committed, among others, to collaborating with all stakeholders, including political parties, to ensure that the electoral management systems are effective, credible, and responsive to the needs of the electorate.
Mozambique's opposition presidential leader, Venàncio Mondlane, declared himself a winner before official result announcements this Friday and accused the army of gunning down his officials besides rigging claims.
There are widespread protests in Mozambique where the EU observers also noted irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results, vote buying, voters roll inflation in strongholds of the ruling party candidate, Daniel Chapo.
The country's electoral commission on Thursday declared Chapo winner in the presidential election with about 70% of the votes, placing Mondlane second with 20%.