By Burnett Munthali

The Secretary General of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Peter Mukhitho, has reaffirmed Malawi’s commitment to democracy, emphasizing that the country adopted a system that allows citizens to elect leaders every five years.

He pointed out that the voter registration process conducted by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has not been properly managed, noting that many registered voters do not have their facial images appearing in the system.

Mukhitho expressed concern over the judiciary’s delay in delivering a ruling on the case involving MEC Chief Elections Officer Andrew Mpesi, whom the DPP claims is a member of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

He called on MEC to allow independent electoral observers and stakeholders to have access to the voter verification system so they can scrutinize what is taking place.

Mukhitho further alleged that MEC is planning to rig the upcoming elections by deliberately withholding critical voter information and denying political stakeholders the opportunity to monitor the registration process.

He claimed that the commission’s actions indicate that it is concealing irregularities and acting in a manner that could jeopardize the integrity of the 2025 elections.