Dear Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe,
It is with deep concern that we address your Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum’s (CSEIF) recent comments discrediting the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) over the alleged missing records in the preliminary voter’s register. As a platform with the responsibility to engage on national issues, it is disheartening to witness your organization issuing reckless and irresponsible statements, seemingly more focused on impressing donors than understanding the complexities of the electoral process.
Your accusation that missing records raise questions about MEC’s transparency, integrity, and credibility is not only premature but dangerous. Electoral processes are sensitive by nature, and your careless remarks risk fueling unrest among those who may ultimately lose elections, encouraging them to claim foul play based on such misguided assertions. If your organization operated with the maturity and insight expected from a body tasked with overseeing election integrity, you would recognize that preliminary voter registration is a work in progress, much like a draft dissertation, subject to revision and correction before being finalized.
The MEC has clearly communicated this reality, with their Director of Media and Public Relations emphasizing in a March 14, 2025, statement that the data is preliminary subject to correction of any observed error and that it will be scrutinized by voters, political parties, and observers. Yet, CSEIF irresponsibly chooses to stir up concerns about transparency without regard for the facts.
Your lack of experience in electoral matters is apparent, Mr. Kondowe. While you have a background in educational activism, you have demonstrated little understanding of how electoral processes function. A truly informed civil society organization would have consulted historical precedents, such as the 11th December 2018 press statement from the then MEC Chairperson Dr. Jane Ansah, which outlined similar challenges in the preliminary voter register and how they were resolved. Dr. Jane Ansah stated on pages 3-4 of the mentioned statement, which you can easily retrieve from Sangwani Mwafulirwa’s Google Groups email—assuming you are a serious CSO.
“𝐻𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑧𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒. 𝑈𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒 (𝑀𝑔𝑎𝑤𝑖 1) 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑧𝑎 𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑃ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 1 𝑤𝑎𝑠 302,623. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑧𝑎 𝑖𝑠 310,034.”
The above premise therefore shows that errors at this stage are not uncommon, nor do they imply misconduct. Your reckless attempt to undermine MEC’s credibility over minor discrepancies is not only unprofessional but potentially dangerous. Malawi is our only home, and while we encourage advocacy for electoral integrity, we also demand fairness and responsibility in your criticism. Careless remarks could spark unrest, and CSEIF must not be the catalyst for needless turmoil.
Sincerely,
Joana Moyo (Feedback: moyojoana@gmail.com)
*BLANTYRE*
