In a continued quest to uphold the Constitution and ensure independence, professionalism and impartial management of electoral cases, the Judiciary and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized a debriefing session for Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal for Malawi.
The debriefing session took place on 17th April, 2024 in Lilongwe. The objective of the debriefing was to reflect on how electoral cases have been handled in Malawi in previous years, shortfalls and how management of the election cases could be improved in the country moving forward, especially now as the country approaches the September 2025 general elections.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the debriefing session Chief Justice of the Republic of Malawi, Honourable Justice Rizine R. Mzikamanda, SC challenged the Judiciary on the need to remain professional and impartial. He described such conduct as key in upholding the integrity of the electoral process in the country.
Making his remarks MEC Chairperson, Honourable Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale, stated that the debriefing session would help MEC prepare well for the upcoming 2025 general elections and for the Judiciary to ensure that electoral cases are addressed expeditiously and efficiently. Honourable Justice Kachale stressed that MEC is committed to providing Malawians with credible elections.
Facilitators of the debriefing session were drawn from the Kenyan Judiciary, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya (IEBC) and some Justices of Appeal from Malawi.
The debriefing session provided an opportunity for Malawi and Kenya to share experiences on lessons and challenges of handling election disputes. It is hoped that once the lessons are implemented, electoral cases will be disposed of faster than has been the case in the past.
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