“The Commonwealth will be present to witness and observe the elections and to work in partnership with Malawi as it consolidates its democracy and strengthens and embeds good practice.” She added: “The responsibility for conducting elections with integrity falls on all stakeholders in the process - from the election management body, to political parties and their leaders, to civil society, security agencies, the media and the voters. Each and every one has a rightful role to ensure a credible process and outcome.”

The observer group will examine preparationsfor the elections, before observing the voting process, vote-counting procedures and the announcement of results. As with all COGs, this mission to Malawi will operate impartially and independently, according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

In the run-up to the elections, the Commonwealth partnered with the Government of Malawi to help prepare women to stand as candidates and to campaign in the elections, and trained media managers and editors in the process of fair and balanced election coverage. Malawi was the 19th country to join the Commonwealth. These are the country's second tripartite elections, and a COG was also present when the first were held in 2014. The observer group will be supported by a Commonwealth Secretariat staff team led by Linford Andrews,
Political Adviser in the Governance and Peace Dire