OBSERVERS NOTE ELECTION SHORTCOMINGS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000445

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PINR PHUM MI
SUBJECT: OBSERVERS NOTE ELECTION SHORTCOMINGS

REF: A. 03 LILONGWE 1202


B. LILONGWE 404

C. LILONGWE 434

D. LILONGWE 438

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (SBU) Commending the general peaceful conduct of the
polls, international election observers nevertheless have
noted substantial shortcomings in Malawi's presidential and
parliamentary elections. Among them, inequitable access to
the state-owned media, the ruling party's use of state
resources to campaign, and poor planning and administration
by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) feature most
prominently. These inadequacies, combined with a general
feeling among voters of inability to effect political change,
are the likely causes of a relatively low voter turnout. END
SUMMARY.

INTERNATIONAL ELECTION OBSERVER TEAMS
--------------

2. (U) International election observer teams from the
European Union (EU),the Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec),
the African Union (AU),the Electoral Institute of Southern
Africa (EISA),and the Southern Africa Development Community
Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF) largely agreed in their
assessments of Malawi's third democratic presidential and
parliamentary elections. While commending the peaceful
conduct of the polls and the efforts of local elections
officials, the teams noted a skewed playing field resulting
from the ruling United Democratic Front's (UDF) use of the
state-owned media and public resources to campaign and the
poor administration of election logistics as undermining the
conduct of the elections.

INEQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE STATE-OWNED MEDIA
--------------

3. (U) All observer teams noted that a level playing field
did not exist because of the "gross bias of the public media"
(ComSec) in favor of the ruling party and the near "exclusion
of opposition parties and independent candidates" (EU) in
news coverage, which the donor community flagged as a problem
throughout the campaign period. The Malawi Electoral
Commission (MEC) Media Monitoring Unit's final report, which
assessed media coverage during the entire campaign period
(March 20 to May 18),said that state-owned radio station,
the only medium with national reach, accorded 92% of coverage
to the ruling party; the state-owned television, 81%.

RULING PARTY'S USE OF STATE RESOURCES TO CAMPAIGN
-------------- --------------

4. (U) All observer teams also expressed concern with the
"widespread and overt distribution of money to voters and
abuse of state resources by the ruling party"
(EU/AU/SADC-PF). The "misuse of the advantages of
incumbency" (ComSec) and the focus of campaigns on
"personalities and character assassination" rather than on
"issues" (AU) detracted from the equitable presentation of
issues and policies during the campaign period.

POOR ADMINISTRATION
--------------

5. (U) The poor administration of elections logistics,
especially the update of the voters' roll, also featured
highly in the shortcomings the teams noted. The voter
registration process was "deficient" and resulted in
"inflated voter registration figures" (EISA). The
computerized cleanup of the voters' roll was also
"unsatisfactory and resulted in considerable confusion and
lack of confidence amongst voters" (EU). The problems with
the voters' roll also resulted in the disenfranchisement of
some voters, though the numbers are unknown.


6. (SBU) The tabulation and delayed announcement of results,
which occurred only three hours before the legislative
deadline of 72-hours after the polls closed, have also come
under criticism by political parties and civil society
groups. There has been no evidence of outright rigging, but
MEC's use of "unclean data" for the results is of concern
(reftel D). Two opposition parties have announced their
complaints will be formalized in legal action against MEC.
(NOTE: The delays in tabulation and announcement of results
did not feature in the international observers' preliminary
findings because their reports came out before the election
results. Observer team representatives have said their final
reports will include the issues caused by the delays. END
NOTE.)

LOW VOTER TURNOUT
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7. (U) 54% of registered voters cast ballots, which is
markedly lower than the last presidential election's 92%.
Theorizing about the low turnout, civil society leaders have
said the late start of civic and voter education and a
general feeling of inability to effect political change are
likely reasons.

COMMENT
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8. (SBU) We concur with the international observers'
assessment of the elections. MEC's poor planning and
administration, which led to innumerable irregularities, and
its failure to ensure a level playing field in the run-up to
the polls seriously undermined the conduct of the
presidential and parliamentary elections. Without a
meaningful public discussion of the issues and without
reasonable confidence in the Electoral Commission's handling
of the process, the Malawi elections lacked some key elements
of a fully democratic contest.
DOUGHERTY