Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy

 On Tuesday 19 May 2009 general elections will take place in Malawi. NIMD’s local partner, the Centre for Multiparty Democracy Malawi (CMD-M), a membership organisation of the Malawian parliamentary parties, has been working tirelessly through-out the preparatory period to advance two central aims for these elections. First, to enhance a level playing field and political debates between the parties in terms of content by producing radio programmes about the vision and priorities of the contesting parties, and distributing newspaper inserts comparing the manifestos of the parties. The second objective was to contribute to the conduct of peaceful and fair elections.

With a lot at stake and tensions between the parties running high, many ordinary Malawians have feared these elections could descend into the kind of chaos witnessed in Kenya, or more recently, in Zimbabwe. To counter the threat of such scenarios, CMD-M facilitated a series of regular consultations between the member parties of CMD-M and the Malawi Electoral Commission. During these meetings the Commission and political parties had a chance explain their points of view and an opportunity to develop consensus on the elections management process. This confidence building communication between the Commission and the parties significantly improved the electoral management process and vastly increased the likelihood of all parties accepting the final results.

The results of the CMD-M cross-party consultation initiative were seen meanwhile at a gathering in Blantyre on Friday 15 May, just two days before the end of the official campaign period. Billed as an occasion for ‘Celebrating our democracy through elections’ it brought all parties and the Commission together to sign a document committing themselves to adhere to the SADC Elections protocol. In signing up, parties agreed to desist from using any language incited violence, to recognize the Authority of the Electoral Commission especially in announcing the results, and to handle disputes by dialogue and/or through due process of the law.

The agreement enhances the likelihood that this southern African country, with its hotly contested electoral issues still to decide, is heading nevertheless towards an exemplary general election.