A growing number of Malawians say the country should adopt methods other than elections for choosing its leaders because elections produce “bad results.” According to the latest Afrobarometer survey, four in 10 citizens support this idea – more than twice as many as a decade ago.
A majority of Malawians want electoral reforms, including the selection of commissioners of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) by application, an age limit of 70 years for presidential candidates, and minimum academic qualifications for aspiring members of Parliament. But most citizens reject the introduction of compulsory voting.
These findings are being released as civil society organisations, political parties, and citizens continue to debate proposed electoral reforms, including recommendations by the Special Law Commission on the Review of Election Laws.
