MEC Bars Changing Running Mates in Presidential Election Re-run
Among the amended laws are that polling days will be public holidays and voting will open from 6 a.m to 4 p.m.
MANGOCHI, Malawi — The Malawi Electoral Commission says it will not allow political parties to change running mates in the event of a presidential election re-run when no political party amasses 50+1 valid votes cast in the first round, writes Francis Polinyu Banda
MEC Commissioner Richard Chapweteka said this in an interview Monday during a sensitization meeting of election stakeholders for Mangochi municipal council on the new electoral laws in preparation for the Sept. 16, 2025 general elections.
"Presidential candidates will not be allowed to pick new running mates in an event that the presidential candidates fail to get 50+1 ballots, and the fresh election will be conducted after sixty days," Chapweteka said.
"The presidential runoff will be contested by the two candidates who will get more votes in the first round to find one who will get more votes than the other."
Chapweteka stated that political parties, especially presidential candidates who have powers of choosing their running mates, will only be allowed to contest in the runoff when they go back to the election with the running mates they contested with in the first round.
Speaking in a separate interview during the meeting, Director of Planning and Development for Mangochi Municipality Fortunate Msukwa hailed the MEC for organizing the meeting, stating that it will help election stakeholders know the new laws governing the elections in the run up to Sept. 16, 2025.
"We thank the Malawi Electoral Commission for organizing this sensitization meeting as it will assist stakeholders to know the laws governing elections in the run up to the elections," Msukwa said.
Msukwa told the media that Mangochi municipal council will soon hold a full council meeting where council members will be briefed on various issues including ones about elections and the newly enacted electoral laws.
"The full council meeting will help council members who are not attending this meeting to know what is in the amended electoral laws," he stated.
Parliament passed the new electoral laws in 2022, which were enacted in 2022 and became effective on June 15, 2023 after President Lazarus Chakwera assented to them.
Among the amended laws are that polling days will be public holidays and voting will open from 6 a.m to 4 p.m.