Malawi’s presidential and parliamentary candidates must ensure the promotion and protection of human rights before, during and after elections, Amnesty International said today ahead of the country’s general elections on 16 September.
The organization has published a human rights manifesto ahead of the elections, setting out what it considers to be eight key human rights priorities for the incoming president and parliament. These include the right to food, women’s rights, the rights to freedom of association and expression, and the rights of persons with disabilities including persons with albinism.
“As a first step, the incoming government must review and reform laws restricting the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, to ensure the effective realization of human rights,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa regional office.
As a first step, the incoming government must review and reform laws restricting the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, to ensure the effective realization of human rights.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa regional office.
During its first term, the current administration promised to “clear the rubble of impunity”; to operationalize the Access to Information Act and other laws protecting human rights; and to ensure transparency and accountability within government. None of these promises have been fulfilled.
“President Lazarus Chakwera’s first term has fallen short on human rights, defined by broken promises in relation to the economy and living standards, impunity and civic space,” said Tigere Chagutah.
Other priority issues include abolishing the death penalty, ensuring the right to access information, better protections for refugees and migrants as well as LGBTI persons, and the provision of sexual and reproductive health services.
President Lazarus Chakwera’s first term has fallen short on human rights, defined by broken promises in relation to the economy and living standards, impunity and civic space.
Tigere Chagutah
During the electoral period, the government must also ensure a safe and enabling environment so that civil society organizations and actors can freely do their work, and people can fully and effectively exercise their rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly
Protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
Despite pledging to ensure that civil society can freely do its work and that Malawi “maintains a culture of robust protest”, the draconian NGO amendment bill – which limits freedom of association of civil society organizations – took effect in May 2022. Meanwhile, the government continues to use the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016 to suppress peaceful dissent and harass journalists.
Access to information remains difficult despite a promise by the current administration to operationalize the Access to Information Act. Malawi’s parliament passed this legislation in 2017; it came into effect in 2020 and gives a legal right for people to access information held by public bodies and some private entities performing public functions.
“These repressive laws have without a doubt accelerated the shrinking of Malawi’s civic space. The incoming leadership must break with the past and address this decline in the country’s human rights situation,” said Tigere Chagutah.
Amnesty International further calls on the incoming government to ensure the full operationalization of the Act to ensure access to information and government transparency and accountability.
Protect women, LGBTI people and persons with disabilities
Current laws do not adequately protect women and persons with disabilities, refugees and migrants, and LGBTI persons. The state has failed to adequately protect women from violence, as gaps in the implementation of existing laws and policies continue to leave women and girls vulnerable to domestic abuse, sexual violence, harmful practices, and other forms of gender-based violence.
Rather than attack marginalized groups through repressive laws and practices, the next leadership must prioritize protecting and upholding their rights, ensuring equality, dignity, and inclusion for all.
Tigere Chagutah
Amnesty International calls for the repeal of anti-LGBTI laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.
“Rather than attack marginalized groups through repressive laws and practices, the next leadership must prioritize protecting and upholding their rights, ensuring equality, dignity, and inclusion for all,” said Tigere Chagutah.
“The recommendations outlined in the human rights manifesto are not exhaustive, but they provide the incoming administration with a roadmap to advance human rights as a foundation for real change and to improve the quality of life for all in Malawi.”
Background
Malawi will hold its general elections on 16 September 2025 to elect the president, members of the national assembly and local government councillors.
Amnesty International routinely publishes a human rights agenda for election candidates to highlight areas that the organization considers should be at the top of the next government’s priorities upon being elected.
