The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has been elected to the Executive Board of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) for the 2026–2028 term, alongside election management bodies from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal.
The elections took place during A-WEB’s 7th General Assembly in Manila, Philippines, held from October 12 to 17, 2026.
Malawi, DR Congo and Senegal join Kenya and Uganda as African representatives on the Executive Board. Other countries and territories elected to the board include Argentina, Peru, Puerto Rico, Bhutan, Mongolia, Palestine, Indonesia, Samoa and the Philippines.
The Philippines also assumed the chairmanship of the association through its Commission on Elections (COMELEC), which previously served as A-WEB’s vice-chair.
A-WEB brings together 121 election management bodies from 111 countries to promote cooperation, knowledge sharing and credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Public Relations, Sangwani Mwafulirwa, MEC said the appointment would allow Malawi to contribute to global discussions on electoral integrity, emerging technologies, public trust and democratic governance.
The appointment comes as MEC continues to challenge a government directive ordering it to move its headquarters from Lilongwe to Blantyre.
Relocation dispute
In October 2025, President Peter Mutharika directed MEC, the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) and the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) to relocate their headquarters to Blantyre.
MEC challenged the directive in court, arguing that the relocation raises concerns about its constitutional and statutory independence.
The government, through Attorney General Frank Mbeta, has argued that the move would reduce MEC’s rental costs.
According to Mbeta, MEC spends about K100 million monthly on rentals in Lilongwe, compared with an estimated K5 million it would pay in Blantyre. The move could save more than K1.1 billion annually.
On June 5, 2026, High Court Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda granted an injunction stopping the relocation and requiring the government to continue paying rent for MEC’s Lilongwe premises.
The court also referred the matter to the Chief Justice for certification because of constitutional questions raised in the case.
The government has since made several attempts to overturn the injunction. In August 2026, the High Court dismissed an application seeking to lift a stay on judicial review proceedings.
