When Sangwani Mwafulirwa first joined the Malawi Electoral Commission, he knew election management would be challenging. What he hadn’t fully grasped was just how much responsibility rested on the shoulders of electoral officials.
“You’re not just planning logistics. You’re safeguarding democracy for the entire nation.”
Sangwani, who has taken part in several Commonwealth election trainings, was once again invited to contribute, this time as an alumni resource person for the Commonwealth Election Professionals (CEP) Initiative, part of the electoral support provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat. He provided insights on crisis management and communication, drawing from his experience in the field.
Strengthening electoral capacity across the Commonwealth
The CEP programme, funded by the government of Australia, is designed to enhance the professional capacity of electoral officials across the Commonwealth.
Since its launch in 2013, the Initiative has trained more than 320 election professionals across sixteen regional training events, building a trusted and effective platform for sharing experiences and finding solutions to common challenges in the electoral space.
Sangwani recalls:
“The CEP programme was more than just training. It was a space to reflect, grow, and learn from others who had walked similar paths. We discussed real-world challenges like political pressure, electoral technology, dispute resolution, and how to make elections more inclusive for all groups, including women, youth and people with disabilities.”
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CEP sessions weren’t limited to theory. Sangwani and his fellow participants tackled practical, and sometimes difficult, lessons drawn from experiences around the world.
“One real life experience that really stood out was hearing how some countries successfully conducted elections during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a powerful example of how electoral commissions can adapt and innovate under immense pressure.”
One of the most impactful takeaways from CEP, Sangwani observed, was the strong focus on gender and social inclusion.
“We sometimes take for granted that just holding an election is enough. But a truly credible election is one where every eligible voice is heard, especially those who are often left out.”
In Malawi’s just-concluded election, Sangwani worked behind the scenes to increase confidence of stakeholders in the integrity of the process. Sangwani is the Director of Media and Public Relations at the Malawi Electoral Commission, tasked with ensuring accurate and timely information flow between the commission and the public to build trust in the electoral process.
He noted that the lesson learned are being incorporated in his work:
“Some changes were small but powerful, clearer communication materials, and better-designed voter education programmes.”
The Commonwealth’s investment in electoral professionals like Sangwani is not just about training, it’s about strengthening democracy, one election at a time.
Australia's support for the Commonwealth Election Professionals initiative
Australia has continued its long-standing support by providing additional funding for the next phase of the Commonwealth Election Professionals Initiative. This marks the fourth round of Australian support, which has been instrumental in creating opportunities for knowledge exchange, peer support, and the sharing of emerging good practices among election professionals and election management bodies across the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Hon Shirley Botchwey, thanked Australia for its long-standing support which has been vital to the success of the CEP initiative over the last 12 years.
She said:
“The extended funding from Australia will allow us to build upon the successes of this initiative and continue working with election officials all over the Commonwealth, like Sangwani in Malawi, who are working tirelessly to raise the integrity, credibility and inclusiveness of their elections.”
Democratic resilience at the heart of the Commonwealth’s Strategic Plan
In the Commonwealth Secretariat’s five-year Strategic Plan, democratic resilience has been identified as one of the three pillars of support for member countries. This area of focus includes electoral support for member countries, which has been part of the Secretariat’s work for 45 years.
The CEP initiative has reached election professionals from 58 election management bodies, including – through partnership with the Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand Electoral Administrators (PIANZEA) Network - five non-Commonwealth election management bodies in the Pacific region.
Launched in July 2025, CEP Phase IV will support capacity-building for Commonwealth election professionals through to 2030.
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Media Contact
- Temitope Kalejaiye, Public Relations and Engagement Officer, Commonwealth Secretariat
- M: +447436032707 | Email
