By Vincent Gunde
The Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) says it is advancing in its preparations for the 16th September, 2025 general elections where Malawians will elect a President, Members of Parliament and councilors of their choice.
Mec Director of Media Services Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the ballot papers will be coming to Malawi in several consignments starting with Monday at 11;30 a.m the first consignment of Parliamentary ballot papers will land at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.
Mwafulirwa said on 4th September and 15th September, 2025 Mec is expected to receive other consignments of ballot papers for presidential and councilors saying all the ballot papers will be kept at the Airport.
He said the Electoral body has secured a warehouse at the Airport under the guard of Malawi Defense (MDF) and Malawi Police Service (MPS) officers until the day of dispatch to various polling centres across the country.
The Media Director said they have invited political parties to witness both the arrival of the ballot papers and warehousing and on the day of dispatch to the polling stations, political parties will also be invited to witness the same.
“All political parties are being asked to nominate two people to witness the arrival and warehousing of the ballot papers as well as dispatch,” said Mwafulirwa.
A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, has thanked the Mec for doing everything possible to give Malawians timely information on its preparations for free and fair elections.
Kamphangala said even though Mec is doing a good job, but Malawians have lost trust with this electoral body and are doubtful that Mec is ready to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible 16th September, 2025 elections.
He said Mec rejections of independent auditors to verify the voters’ roll and allowing the Smartmatic machines to transmit polling results from constituency tally centres to the main tally centre in Lilongwe, is another point of concern.
The MCP diehard has expressed optimistic that since the matter of smartmatic machines and independent auditors is in court, the court will decide on the way forward for the losers to accept defeat honorably.
