The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says any delays in having reformed Electoral laws by December this year will negatively affect the 2025 general election.
Commissioner Caroline Mfune who chairs MEC Legal committee said delays in tabling the electoral law bills in time will have significant implications on the Commission’s preparations for the 2025 elections.
Mfune said this during an interactive session the legal committee held with the Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo at the Ministry’s offices.
“Beginning the 2023-2024 financial year, the national budget will start to bear some of the costs of the 2025 General Elections and this is the reason the Commission wants these bills passed during the November sitting of Parliament,” said Commissioner Mfune
She said procurement processes have prescribed time frames which must be adhered to and that it becomes challenging to procure strategic electoral materials whenever there is limited time.
Reacting to the concerns, Minister of Justice Mvalo assured the Commission that he will see to it that the bills are gazetted accordingly so that timelines set in the Standing Orders of Parliament are adhered to, which stipulates that a bill circulated 28 days before being deliberated upon by Members of Parliament.
