US embassy cable - 04LILONGWE445

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000445 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PINR, PHUM, MI, Elections 
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 
----------------- 
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 
------- 
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