By Jones Gadama
The Malawi Electoral Commission’s resistance to President Peter Mutharika’s executive order to relocate from rented offices in Lilongwe to its own buildings in Blantyre is less about constitutional principle and more about a fundamental misunderstanding of what “independence” actually means. MEC’s stance is not independence. It is confusion, politicization, and an embarrassing attempt to turn office location into a political weapon.
Let’s start with the basics. *Independence*, in the context of public institutions, means freedom from undue interference in core operational and decision-making functions. For MEC, that means independence in registering voters, delimiting constituencies, managing elections, declaring results, and interpreting electoral law. That is the independence protected by Section 75 of the Malawi Constitution.
Nowhere does the Constitution say independence means MEC can choose which city to rent offices in, defy lawful administrative directives, or pretend it exists outside the structure of the state.
Independence does not mean isolation. It does not mean MEC becomes a sovereign state within a state.
It remains a public institution created by the Constitution, funded by Malawian taxpayers, housed in government infrastructure, and subject to the same administrative laws that govern all government departments.
When government says “use your own buildings in Blantyre instead of paying rent in Lilongwe,” that is not interference in how MEC counts votes. That is government providing the physical environment for MEC to work.
This is where MEC’s argument collapses into comedy. MEC is claiming “independence” from government interference, yet in the same breath it rushes to government and taxpayers every year asking for budgetary allocations to pay rent in Area 3, Lilongwe. How can you claim to be independent of the hand that feeds you? True independence would mean MEC generates its own revenue, owns its own properties, and funds its operations without touching the national budget. If MEC is so independent, let it build and maintain its offices without a single kwacha from the Treasury. Let it prove that independence by financial self-sufficiency. Until then, the claim rings hollow and, frankly, laughable.
Ordering MEC to move to Blantyre is not interference. Interference would be the President telling the Chairperson who to register as a voter, which party to disqualify, or what results to announce. That would be a direct attack on MEC’s constitutional mandate.
But telling a commission to stop wasting public money on rent and instead occupy buildings it already owns is administration, not manipulation. That is government creating a conducive environment for MEC to function independently. A commissioner can still reject a candidate’s nomination in Blantyre just as easily as in Lilongwe. The ballot paper does not change because the office has a different postcode.
So why is MEC fighting this? The answer is political, not legal. MEC has run out of ideas and is being misled by a certain political party that sees any government directive as an attack.
This simple administrative issue has been dressed in political clothing to create a false narrative of victimhood. It allows certain actors to cry “dictatorship” while ignoring the court ruling that already dismissed MEC’s challenge to the executive order.
The High Court settled the legal question. MEC’s continued resistance is not defense of democracy. It is defiance of the law.
Malawians are tired of institutions that confuse arrogance with autonomy. An independent institution must be accountable.
An independent institution must respect court rulings. An independent institution must protect taxpayers’ money.
MEC is failing on all three counts. By refusing to relocate, it wastes millions in rent while its own buildings in Blantyre sit idle. That is not independence. That is irresponsibility.
The President’s directive should be seen for what it is: a push for efficiency, regional balance, and respect for the rule of law. Blantyre is as Malawian as Lilongwe.
Decentralizing state institutions strengthens national unity and reduces the Lilongwe-centric view of governance. MEC should embrace it, move, and get back to its real job: preparing credible elections.
If MEC wants to be taken seriously as an independent body, it must start acting like one. Stop politicizing office location. Stop hiding behind a misinterpreted word in the Constitution.
Stop allowing partisan interests to drive its decisions. And if it truly believes it is independent, then let it fund itself. Until that day, MEC should comply, relocate to Blantyre, and focus on delivering free and fair elections. That is the independence Malawians care about.
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Email: jonesgadama@gmail.com
