The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) has called on all electoral stakeholders in Malawi to ensure that the forthcoming elections are conducted in a peaceful, free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.
Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM), Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, made the appeal during the official launch of the mission in Lilongwe. He emphasized that the regional bloc is looking forward to elections that uphold the democratic values and principles enshrined in the SADC Treaty, as well as the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
“As SADC, we stand committed to supporting the democratic processes of our member states. It is our hope that these elections will reflect the will of the people and strengthen Malawi’s democratic credentials,” Masuku said.
The SEOM announced that it will deploy about 80 observers to nine districts across the country. The observers will monitor various stages of the electoral cycle, including pre-election activities such as campaign rallies, election-day proceedings at polling stations, and the post-election process, particularly the management and announcement of results.
The mission’s presence is expected to provide credibility to the electoral process while assuring Malawians of regional solidarity in safeguarding democracy.
