Africa-Press – Malawi. The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has nullified the parliamentary election results for Lilongwe Mtandire-Mtsiriza Constituency, citing serious procedural irregularities in the handling of void votes.
The decision follows a formal complaint lodged by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate George Zulu, who narrowly lost to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Alfred Gangata by just five votes in the unofficial tally.
According to the initial, unofficial results, Gangata garnered 12,289 votes, while Zulu secured 12,284. However, Zulu contested the credibility of the outcome, highlighting a discrepancy in the number of void votes.
He claimed that 445 void ballots were recorded at the constituency level, but only 345 were accounted for at the District Tally Centre, a shortfall of 100 votes that could influence the final result in such a tightly contested race.
Zulu’s petition prompted MEC to investigate the matter, during which the Commission discovered significant deviations from the legal procedures governing the handling of polling materials, particularly void votes.
The probe revealed that the Council Returning Officer overstepped legal boundaries by examining void votes, preparing unauthorized records, and opening tamper-evident envelopes, actions deemed as serious misconduct.
In a letter dated September 27, 2025, addressed to Zulu’s legal representative, MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja confirmed the Commission’s findings.
She stated that due to these irregularities, MEC was unable to verify the election results with certainty and had no choice but to annul the vote.
The Commission emphasized that the integrity of the electoral process had been compromised beyond acceptable limits.
Justice Mtalimanja further clarified that the Returning Officer had neither the mandate nor the legal authority to handle void votes in the manner they did. This breach of protocol, according to MEC, constituted a significant electoral offence and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the outcome.
The Commission also acknowledged the harassment allegations raised by Zulu’s monitors, though the statement focused primarily on the procedural flaws in vote management.
In light of the nullification, MEC announced that a by-election will be conducted in Lilongwe Mtandire-Mtsiriza.
While a specific date is yet to be announced, the Commission confirmed that the fresh poll would follow all legal and procedural requirements, ensuring transparency and credibility.
This development marks one of the rare instances where an entire parliamentary election has been cancelled post-vote due to procedural misconduct.
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