LILONGWE, Sept. 19– The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Malawi has described the country’s Sept. 16 general elections as “well-administered and competitive.”
EU EOM Chief Observer Lucia Annunziata made the remarks on Thursday in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, as the mission presented its preliminary findings on the elections.
“Malawians exercised their political rights in well-administered and competitive elections on Tuesday, after a two-month campaign period, as we observed an uneventful and peaceful election day across the entire 28 districts,” said Annunziata, who is also a member of the European Parliament.
Reinhold Lopatka, head of the European Parliament Delegation that joined the EU EOM, fully endorsed the statement, saying that “for Malawians to keep their trust in democracy and elections, political parties should now focus on dealing with the dire economic situation and improving the citizens’ daily lives.”
He also called on political parties to wait “calmly and patiently” for the final results, accept them, and ensure their supporters refrain from violent acts.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is still tabulating results from the country’s 36 councils at the National Tally Center in Lilongwe.
The polls featured 17 presidential candidates, along with contests for 229 parliamentary seats and 509 local government seats.
The MEC is mandated to announce presidential election results by Sept. 24, while parliamentary and local government results are due within 14 and 21 days of polling, respectively.
The EU EOM deployed 110 observers from EU member states, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland for Malawi’s 2025 general elections, building on its previous observation missions in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. (Xinhua)
