By Burnett Munthali
The Secretary General of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Peter Mukhitho, has emphasized that Malawi is a multi-party democracy where citizens are constitutionally empowered to choose their leaders.
Mukhitho stated that this democratic right is why the country holds general elections every five years, giving Malawians the opportunity to cast their votes.
However, he expressed concern that the electoral process leading to the 2025 elections is already facing serious setbacks.
He pointed out that among the major problems is the omission of over 2,000 names from the voters’ register, as well as the possible absence of photographs for some voters.
According to Mukhitho, these irregularities clearly indicate that the current electoral process is flawed and not being properly managed.
He further explained that political parties represented in Parliament had collectively requested the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to allow independent auditors to assess the voter registration system.
Despite this unified appeal, he said MEC has failed to grant them access, raising suspicions over the transparency of the entire process.
Mukhitho also lamented that even the preliminary results of the voter verification exercise have not been shared with political parties.
He noted that while MEC claims the withholding of this information is a security measure, it undermines the trust and cooperation necessary for credible elections.
Mukhitho’s remarks underscore the DPP’s growing concerns about MEC’s credibility and have added fuel to the already heated debate over the electoral body’s preparedness for the upcoming elections.
