By Vincent Gunde
Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) President Enock Kamzingeni Chihana has issued a stern warning that opposition parties in Malawi will boycott the 2025 elections if the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) insists on using national Identity Cards (IDs) for voting, which he claims is part of the MCP’s rigging scheme.
Chihana’s warning comes after Muvi wa Chilungamo Revolutionary Party (MRP) President Bantu Saunders Jumah made similar sentiments, stating that besides boycotting the elections, there will be no government.
The National Registration Bureau (NRB) has been accused of planting faulty cameras in the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Regions of Malawi, where many people have been barred from registering, unlike in the Central Region, where young children under 15 have been registered as eligible voters.
Speaking during an AFORD Elective Conference in Lilongwe, Chihana said opposition parties do not trust MEC to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible 2025 elections, citing MEC’s strategic position appointments as being on tribal lines, favoring the Chewas.
Chihana emphasized that opposition parties want to accept election results, but not with MEC, which is already running the affairs of the MCP, describing this as dangerous and a recipe for political violence in Malawi.
He praised Justice Dr. Chifundo Kachale for standing firm in the June 2020 elections and announcing the winner, reflecting the will of the people in Malawi for a change of government.
Chihana stated that opposition parties have no trust in MEC Chairperson Justice Anabel Mtalimanja and have not endorsed her to deliver free and fair elections in Malawi, except for the MCP, of which she is a part.
“AFORD and opposition parties don’t know Justice Anabel Mtalimanja; we have not vested her with trust to deliver credible elections,” said Chihana.
He criticized the way elections will be conducted in Malawi in 2025, likening it to a team bringing their own referee, with President Chakwera choosing a referee to preside over elections in which he is a candidate, describing this as nonsense.
Chihana assured Malawians that opposition parties will meet to map the way forward, and AFORD’s stand is for all Malawians, with or without National IDs, to vote in the 2025 elections.