By Burnett Munthali
The Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Right Honourable Dr. Jane Ansah SC, JA (Rtd), on Tuesday held a high-level meeting with Ms. Lucia Annunziata, the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM), who officially presented the Mission’s Final Report on the September 2025 elections. Dr. Ansah warmly welcomed Ms. Annunziata and her delegation, expressing her gratitude for the Mission’s return to Malawi to deliver the completed findings of their extensive observation exercise. She reminded the delegation that she was appearing on behalf of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, who is currently out of the country on a private visit.
The Vice President conveyed President Mutharika’s appreciation for the EU-EOM’s continued engagement with Malawi, stressing that government values the Mission’s technical insight and independent assessment of the electoral process. She noted that she was keen to understand the full scope of the Final Report, particularly how its recommendations align with Malawi’s ongoing electoral and governance reforms.
Dr. Ansah acknowledged that she was already aware of several issues flagged in the earlier Preliminary Report, including the conduct of the media, campaign financing gaps, the limited participation of women and youth, and aspects of results management. She said the engagement was critical in clarifying the Mission’s final conclusions and ensuring that the government properly interprets their implications for national reform priorities.
During the meeting, Ms. Annunziata and her team outlined key observations from the Final Report, drawing from the fieldwork of 110 observers deployed across Malawi throughout the electoral period. She reaffirmed that the September 2025 polls were generally peaceful and credible, with Malawians freely exercising their democratic rights. She added that the findings were reinforced by evidence generated through the Mission’s social media monitoring unit, which tracked digital activity before, during, and after voting day.
The Chief Observer expressed appreciation for the cooperation the Mission received from Malawian institutions, political parties and citizens, noting that such openness strengthened the credibility of the observation exercise. She explained that the Final Report contains twenty-one recommendations designed to support improvements across the entire electoral cycle, beginning with voter registration and extending to campaign conduct, media regulation, and results tabulation.
Among the concerns outlined in the report was a lack of impartiality in public media coverage, which the Mission warned had the potential to compromise fairness in the campaign environment. Ms. Annunziata also highlighted the low number of women contesting elective positions, calling on Malawi to adopt deliberate measures to overcome entrenched barriers that limit women’s political participation.
In her response, Dr. Ansah thanked the EU-EOM for its professionalism, transparency and constructive approach. She described the Final Report as a valuable instrument for enhancing cooperation between Malawi and the European Union, stressing that the government would treat the recommendations with the seriousness they deserve. She assured the delegation that relevant national institutions will be consulted to identify which recommendations can be prioritised for reform.
Concluding the meeting, the Vice President reaffirmed the government’s commitment to credible, transparent and inclusive elections. She pledged that the recommendations will be carefully reviewed and integrated into Malawi’s ongoing efforts to strengthen democratic processes. Dr. Ansah expressed appreciation for the Mission’s work in reinforcing confidence in the country’s electoral integrity and wished the delegation safe travels as they return to Europe.
