Citizens’ groups in Malawi have petitioned parliament, accusing the National Registration Bureau (NRB) of being “incompetent” in registering eligible voters ahead of the 2025 general elections.
The Concerned Citizens of Malawi, comprising the People Power Movement and the Economic Freedom Movement, presented a petition to parliament, urging lawmakers to intervene in the voter registration process.
Joseph Pechi, Commander-in-Chief of the Economic Freedom Movement, said: “The NRB has failed to register many eligible voters, especially in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern regions. This is a clear sign of incompetence, and we can’t trust them to manage the electoral process.”
The petition calls for parliament to explore alternative identification documents to ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the elections, bypassing the NRB’s registration process.
Mulanje West legislator Yusuf Thenda, who received the petition, assured the groups that parliament would discuss their concerns, saying: “We will ensure that every eligible Malawian can exercise their right to vote, despite the NRB’s failures.”
