After well-managed general elections, European Union Election Observation Mission Malawi 2025 offers recommendations for electoral reform in its final report

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Malawi today published its final report on the 16 September 2025 general elections. Chief Observer Lucia Annunziata, Member of the European Parliament, said: “Malawi conducted effective and peaceful elections in September, respecting democratic principles, despite some inequity in campaigning. The EU Election Observation Mission now publishes its detailed findings on the election, addressing aspects of the electoral process ranging from constituency size to the acceptance of results.”

The Chief Observer continued: “The findings are accompanied by twenty-one recommendations for reform in future elections. These recommendations focus on improvements relating to election administration and technology, the campaign environment and campaign finance, media fairness and freedom, the under-representation of women as candidates, and the resolution of electoral disputes, among other matters.”

In its final report, the EU EOM notes that the 16 September elections took place after a competitive campaign period and were followed by a smooth transfer of power, highlighting Malawians’ commitment to electoral politics and popular sovereignty. The campaign environment was, however, not equally favourable for all candidates, arising from the inadequacy of campaign finance regulation, partiality in state media, and the low participation of women as candidates. The EU EOM’s priority recommendations address these areas, as well as recommending codification of the use and management of election technology.

Chief Observer Lucia Annunziata emphasised: “Our recommendations outlined in this report are exactly that, recommendations. It will be up to the relevant Malawian authorities and electoral stakeholders, including civil society, to decide how to address and implement them. This is a matter of national sovereignty.”

The mission’s final report relates that Malawi’s 2025 elections were conducted within a comprehensive legal framework, by a professional electoral administration, though unclear communication on the management and use of technology, delays in dispute resolution, and inadequate rules on campaign finance undermined stakeholder trust. The media landscape is diverse, but unbalanced due to bias by the state broadcaster. A lack of financial resources restricted the political participation of women.

The EU EOM has made 21 recommendations for improving the way elections are organised, managed and conducted in Malawi. They include six priority recommendations:

1. Clarify standard operating procedures to guide the use and management of election technology. Consider establishing a clear legal framework governing the use of electronic tools at all stages of the electoral process.

2. Enhance fairness in campaign financing by imposing limits on campaign fundraising and expenditure, while enhancing transparency and accountability of political parties and candidates by requiring timely and disaggregated disclosure of income and expenditure.

3. Ensure MACRA’s independence through transparent nomination of its members and chairperson by various institutions, as well as media and telecommunication professionals and broader civil society, and appointment by the National Assembly. 

4. Transform the state-owned broadcaster MBC into a genuinely independent public service broadcaster with independent management and oversight, appointed by, and accountable to, the public through the legislature.

5. Consider the introduction of temporary special measures, such as new district-wide parliamentary constituencies within each district, reserved exclusively for women, to promote their political participation.

6. Consider the adoption of legislative time limits requiring the judiciary to resolve election-related cases expeditiously.

At the invitation of the Malawian authorities, the EU EOM was present in Malawi from 2 August until 6 October 2025. The EU EOM deployed a total of 110 accredited observers across the country, from all EU Member States, as well as Canada, Norway, and Switzerland. The EU EOM is independent in its findings and strictly adheres to the principle of non-interference.