Commits funding through UNDP’s Elections Basket Fund that will support Malawi Government’s preparedness for a free, fair and credible election in 2025
The UK has contributed £2m (about MWK 2.5 billion) towards the Malawi Electoral Support Project to support the Malawi Electoral Commission to deliver the 2025 elections in accordance with the high standards set by legislative reforms following the previous elections.
Speaking during the signing ceremony for the Contribution Arrangement with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Lilongwe, British High Commissioner to Malawi Fiona Ritchie said the contribution was an important step in the UK’s long-standing partnership with Malawi on strengthening democratic accountability.
The UK envoy encouraged the Government of Malawi to continue taking all necessary measures to ensure election preparedness, including addressing the large backlog in National ID cards.
UNDP Resident Representative Shigeki Komatsubara said:
This project will empower us to collaborate with CSOs having a national presence, enabling them to deliver essential civic and voter education. Our collective efforts will ignite increased public participation and ensure responsible oversight of elections by the Malawi Electoral Commission. Together, we are working towards a more vibrant and equitable democratic process.”
The MESP project has three components namely:
Elections Basket Fund is a pool of resources from UK and other Development Partners such as USAID, the European Union, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the Republic of Ireland.