Competitive elections, despite inequity in campaigning

The EU EOM was composed of 110 accredited international observers, who conducted observations in all 28 of Malawi's districts, visiting a total of 359 polling stations in the course of the day.

Malawi's electoral law provides an adequate basis for democratic elections. The EU observers reported that electoral preparations were completed in a timely manner. A notable exception was that the detailed tally centre procedures for constituency, district and national levels were not published. This left stakeholders uninformed of the details of this critical part of the process.

Lucia Annunziata underlined: "The capacity of Malawians to make an informed electoral choice was regrettably restricted by the public service broadcaster, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, which did not provide sufficient airtime to fulfil the legal obligation of neutral and balanced information. This, in addition to the inadequate regulation of campaign financing, led to inequity between candidates."

Most private broadcasters and print media strived to balance their coverage, in order to provide voters with the information required to make an informed choice. Significant gaps in the law regarding campaign financing remain: there are no limits in place on either candidates' or political parties' fundraising or expenditure. Their sole obligation, to disclose the receipt of significant donations, is not enforced.

"Political parties should wait calmly and patiently for the announcement of the final results, accept them and ensure that their supporters refrain from violent acts", highlighted Reinhold Lopatka, Head of the European Parliament Delegation that joined the EU EOM and fully endorsed its statement. He added that "for Malawians to keep their trust in democracy and elections, political parties should now focus on dealing with the dire economic situation and improve the citizens' daily lives".

The EU EOM deployed 110 observers from EU Member States, Canada, Norway and Switzerland. This preliminary statement is delivered prior to the completion of the election process, with results tabulation still underway. The EU EOM is independent in its findings and strictly adheres to its principle of non-interference.