Renowned Governance and Human Rights Advocate, Undule Mwakasungula, has urged Malawians to take the provisions of the Republican Constitution seriously ahead of the September 16 General Elections, warning that calls to establish a governing council to oversee the management of the national elections are dangerous to the country’s democracy.
Mwakasungula was reacting to a proposal by the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), in their Press Statement issued, in Lilongwe, Monday, May 19, 2025 titled “LET’S ACT NOW TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY “ to establish a governing council before Malawi’s September 2025 general elections at Public Affairs Committee (PAC) All-inclusive Stakeholder’s Conference this week.
The revered governance and human rights advocate said the proposal is not only impractical, but also unconstitutional and dangerous for our democratic order.
“Malawi is a constitutional democracy, and the Constitution clearly mandates that executive power lies with the sitting President until a newly elected one is sworn in. Any suggestion to transfer power to an unelected and unaccountable governing council falls outside the constitutional framework and amounts to a civilian coup. Such a move would undermine the rule of law, threaten the country’s peace, and set a harmful precedent,” he reacted.
Mwakasungula observed that the CDEDI proposal promotes regime change through informal and extra legal means, which contradicts the very essence of democracy.
While acknowledging CDEDI’s frustration over the shortfalls of the current administration, he emphasized the need to pursue legal and democratic channels when addressing within electoral challenges.
“The upcoming PAC stakeholders meeting should remain focused on facilitating peaceful, credible, inclusive elections and other issues affecting the country.. It is not the right forum to entertain discussions about establishing an unconstitutional structure to replace the current government. Historically, PAC has played a critical role in conflict resolution, promoting peace and national dialogue. It should continue to serve that noble purpose and not be hijacked by voices calling for political experiments that threaten national unity
“Our focus right now should be on ensuring that electoral institutions, such as the Malawi Electoral Commission is empowered to carry out duties independently and fairly. Civic and voter education must be intensified, campaign environments must be monitored to reduce violence and hate speech, and public trust in the electoral process must be reinforced. These are the issues PAC should prioritize and not side-tracking the nation with calls for interim arrangements that lack both legal standing and bring the nation to a standstill,” he said.
“It is important to understand that Malawi is not in a constitutional crisis that warrants the suspension of its governance framework. There are no grounds for abandoning the normal electoral calendar or the existing political institutions. Dissatisfaction with government performance must be expressed not by replacing the government through an informal body with no constitutional authority. If we allow unelected groups to take control whenever there is public discontent, we will destabilize the country and erode public confidence in democratic processes. This proposal, if accepted, would open the door for future political chaos. Today it is a governing council. Tomorrow it could be a demand for religious or military rule. It is a dangerous road that Malawians should never walk. We must protect the Constitution and the institutions that uphold our democracy,” he added.
Mwakasungula said while the civil society, including CDEDI, plays an important role in a democratic Malawi, their role needs to be exercised within the boundaries of the law, stressing that efforts should be directed at holding leaders accountable not through unconstitutional calls for regime change.
“The upcoming elections must be the focus of all our efforts. We must invest in peace-building, civic education, electoral integrity, and institutional accountability. The will of the people must be expressed at the ballot box not through backroom deals and parallel power structures,” he stated.
Undule Mwakasungula is a renowned Malawian governance, public policy, and human rights advocate. He has played a central role in advancing democracy, civic participation, and development dialogue in Malawi and across the SADC region.
