Fresh push for reforms to strengthen political parties

Fresh calls have emerged from stakeholders for reforms to strengthen political parties in the country to improve transparency in political financing and enforce the ban on handouts.

The proposals emerged at a national stakeholders’ conference organised by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) in Lilongwe yesterday, where the ORPP, Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and political parties agreed that effective regulation requires not only sound laws, but also practical implementation.

Registrar of Political Parties Kizito Tenthani said the ORPP would consolidate the recommendations into reforms covering party regulation, capacity building, administration, regulations and collaboration with other State institutions.

“For our democracy to succeed, we need strong political parties that are well institutionalised,” he said.

Tenthani described discussions on the legal framework governing political parties as timely, saying reforms were necessary to strengthen parties while ensuring compliance with the law.

He said some recommendations would require the ORPP to build its institutional capacity, while others could be implemented through administrative changes.

Additional proposals would require regulations clarifying the implementation of the Political Parties Act or collaboration with other State institutions.

CMD chairperson Genarino Lemani urged stakeholders to translate the recommendations into a clear action plan outlining priority reforms, responsible institutions, implementation timelines and mechanisms for monitoring progress.

“Regulation must strengthen democracy, not necessarily restrict legitimate political participation,” said the United Democratic Front (UDF) secretary general.

He called for clear guidelines, credible monitoring, reliable evidence and impartial enforcement of the handouts ban, arguing that the law should apply equally to governing and opposition parties.

UNDP Resident Representative Fenella Frost called for greater transparency in political financing and clearer coordination between the ORPP, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Malawi Police Service and the courts in handling complaints relating to campaign conduct, political financing and handouts.

She said citizens should be able to establish whether political parties submit financial reports, whether the reports are complete and what action is taken against those that fail to meet their obligations.

In an interview, Malawi Congress Party spokesperson Jessie Kabwila said the party did not believe in using money to buy votes, but cautioned that enforcement of the handouts ban should take into account poverty and inadequate social service delivery.

Meanwhile, Tenthani warned that political parties that failed to meet the required representation thresholds in the 2025 General Election risk deregistration if they fail to meet them again at the next polls.

Under Section 16 of the Political Parties Act, the registrar may deregister a party that fails to secure a parliamentary seat or at least five percent of the national parliamentary vote, or two local government seats or 10 percent of the total local government vote.

Tenthani said more than half of the parties that contested the 2025 elections failed to meet the prescribed thresholds.

The ORPP received 162 complaints concerning handouts during the September 2025 General Election.

The Political Parties Act prohibits handouts and requires parties to declare donations above specified thresholds. However, enforcement has been hampered by capacity constraints and a lack of clear implementation guidelines.

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