Malawi gets US$10m election boost as MEC still faces K59 bn deficit

Donors have pulled together US$10 million dollars for the country’s next year tripartite election.

This was disclosed on Wednesday when officials from the United Nations met President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

The US$10 million for the election should be a relief to the Malawi Electoral Commission which is facing a K59 billion shortfall in its election budget.

The Assistant Secretary General for the UN, who is also the Regional Director for the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, Ahunna Eziakonwa said through the basket fund it is managing, donors have already shown commitment to support Malawi.

According to Eziakonwa, the funds committed exceed the original target of 8.5 million US dollars.

Among others, it is expected that the money will meet the deficit in the K59 billion that the government has earmarked for the 2025 elections.