LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Despite having dissolved Parliament on July 23, 2025, President Lazarus Chakwera has directed that the house reconvene on August 5, 2025.
The reconvened session is aimed at deliberating on the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Amendment Bill.
This decision follows widespread calls urging the legislature to address a contentious clause in the PPLG Act.
The specific provision in question prohibits voters from casting their ballots at centres other than where they registered or formally transferred to.
Critics argue that this clause could disenfranchise thousands of voters, particularly those who have relocated due to employment, education, or displacement.
The concern has gained traction among civil society organisations, political parties, and electoral observers who see the clause as restrictive and undemocratic.
In response to the growing pressure, President Chakwera invoked Section 67(4) of the Constitution to justify the reconvening of Parliament.
This section empowers the President to summon Parliament even after its dissolution if there is an urgent matter of national interest that needs the house’s attention.
A government gazette, which The Maravi Post has accessed, confirms that the President acted within the legal boundaries of this constitutional provision.
Chakwera’s decision comes barely a week after Civil society organisations in Malawi raised concerns that more than 50,000 eligible voters may be disenfranchised in the upcoming September 16, 2025, general elections due to a restrictive electoral law.
The organisations argued that Section 74 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, which requires voters to cast their ballots at their designated registration centres, is unfair to certain groups of people.
According to the law, voters are only allowed to vote at the polling station where they are registered or have been transferred to.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has also faced criticism for its interpretation and enforcement of the controversial clause.
There are concerns that, without legislative clarity, the 2025 elections could face legal challenges and voter apathy.
With only a few weeks before the nomination period, the urgency to align electoral laws with democratic expectations has never been greater.
The recall of Parliament has therefore set the stage for a crucial national debate that could shape voter access and legitimacy in the forthcoming polls.