Commonwealth Secretary-General on Malawi

26 May 2014
News

Kamalesh Sharma has been closely following developments in Malawi since the elections held on 20 May and commends the Malawi Electoral Commission for acknowledging some irregularities observed and for continuously engaging in dialogue with all the parties

He has noted the Interim Statement issued by the Commonwealth Observer Group on 21 May, which indicated that voting was by and large conducted in a peaceful, orderly and transparent manner and that the polling environment was generally conducive to the free expression of will by the electorate. 

The Secretary-General commends the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for acknowledging some irregularities observed and for continuously engaging in dialogue with all the parties. Furthermore, the Secretary-General encourages all stakeholders to continue providing support to the MEC’s ongoing efforts to preserve the integrity and credibility of the polls, and calls for due process and the rule of law to be upheld in addressing any electoral challenges or disputes.  

Mr Sharma also expresses appreciation for the commitment to democracy demonstrated by the people of Malawi and urges that calm, patience and public order be maintained, in order to allow Malawi’s tripartite elections to conclude successfully and for the democratic process and ethos in the country to be consolidated.