Blantyre, Malawi, May 19, 2019: H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama, former President of the Republic of Ghana and the Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), has arrived in Blantyre. Upon his arrival, Dr. Mahama held meetings with representatives from Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Transformation Movement (UTM), and with Rev. Hadwick Kaliya (Independent candidate) to brief them on the mandate of the AUEOM.

Preceding his arrival, a two-day orientation and briefing programme for African Union Election Observers Mission (AUEOM) was held from 17-18 May 2019. The briefing focused on the political context of the election, such as the preparations by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Malawi Police Service and the level of preparedness ahead of the polls; the Legal Framework for Elections in Malawi; and other presentations from different stakeholders in Malawi and the African Union (AU) election observation methodology. The briefing was aimed at enabling observers have a better understanding and appreciation of the conduct of the 2019 Malawi Tripartite Elections (i.e. Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections) before their deployment.

The deployment of AUEOM to Malawi is in line with the AU’s mandate of promoting and deepening democracy and democratic elections on the continent, as enshrined in relevant African Union (AU) instruments such as the 2007 African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance; the 2002 OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in African; and the 2002 AU Guidelines for Election Observation and Monitoring Mission. It is also in line with the aspirations of the AU Agenda 2063, particularly Aspiration No.3, which aims to ensure good governance, democracy, and respect for human rights, justice and rule of law on the continent.

The Mission comprises seven (7) Long-Term Observers (LTOs), six (6) technical and training experts. The LTO mission was deployed from 1 May 2019, to conduct comprehensive assessment of the electoral process, and 22 Short-Term Observers (STOs), deployed on 14 May 2019. The STO delegation comprises members from the African Union Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC), Pan-African Parliament (PAP), African Election Management Bodies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Independent Experts from Thinks Tanks and Academic Institutions.

The objective of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is to make an independent, objective and impartial assessment of the 21 May 2019 tripartite elections in the Republic of Malawi, in accordance with the national, regional and international standards for democratic elections.

Over 6.8 million Malawians have registered to vote across the country, with seven (7) Presidential candidates, 1,329 Parliamentary candidates contesting in 193 constituencies and 2709 candidates contesting in 462 local government areas.

The Secretariat of the AUEOM Malawi is located at Amarylllis Hotel, Blantyre, Malawi.