The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has assured the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security that all necessary security preparations for the protection of electoral materials during the voter registration process are in place.
On Wednesday, MEC appeared before the committee to provide an update on its preparedness for the 2025 General Elections, specifically regarding security measures.
The Chairperson of MEC, Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, informed the committee that the Commission plans to deploy over 12,000 police officers during the voter registration exercise, which will be conducted in three phases.
“The Commission has established a total of 6,335 voter registration centers and plans to assign at least two police officers to each center,” said Mtalimanja. She further explained that this setup will require the involvement of 4,200 officers per phase to secure all the centers.
However, Mtalimanja noted that some centers may require more than two officers depending on projected voter turnout.
Members of the committee requested that an independent team be tasked with reviewing the security systems to ensure they cannot be tampered with, citing concerns from previous elections where attempts were made to interfere with the system.
Mtalimanja also reassured the committee that the Commission is addressing all potential cybercrime threats.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security, Salim Bagus, expressed satisfaction with MEC’s responses, noting that the committee will continue monitoring the implementation of these security measures.
“We wanted an overview of the security plans ahead of the elections, particularly considering the challenges faced during the 2019 elections,” said Bagus. He also proposed that the Malawi Defence Force be engaged in the security management process, given public concerns over the police.
Additionally, MEC revealed that it has implemented measures to control access to sensitive areas, preventing unauthorized entry into MEC facilities. Crisis management protocols have also been established with the Malawi Police Service to address any security incidents during the election process.
