Malawi’s long-running dispute over the Electoral Commission’s headquarters is heading back to court, with no resolution in sight.

At the heart of the standoff is the Commission’s refusal to move its offices from Lilongwe to Blantyre, despite a directive issued by President Peter Mutharika shortly after he took office in October 2025. The order required the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), along with several other state institutions, to relocate within three months.

The MEC has stood its ground, arguing that the directive infringes on its constitutional independence. It initially approached the High Court for a judicial review, but the case was dismissed earlier this year on procedural grounds. The Commission has now launched fresh legal action, setting the stage for another court battle.

Behind the legal arguments, analysts say politics may be playing a significant role.

“There is high-level politics at play here because the majority of the leadership of the Electoral Commission comes from the former ruling party of former President Lazarus Chakwera,” said Mavuto Bamusi, Publicity Secretary for the Political Science Association of Malawi.

He noted that since Mutharika’s return to power, there has been no move to appoint a new set of commissioners, even though the current term has expired.

“That in itself creates tension, and we can infer that this defiance is also linked to the influence the former ruling party still holds within the Commission,” Bamusi added.

–ChannelAfrica–