Malawi is set to hold a presidential election this week, as the southern African nation confronts soaring economic challenges, food and fuel shortages, and lingering memories of its disputed 2019 vote that was annulled due to widespread irregularities.
President Lazarus Chakwera, a former preacher and theology lecturer, rose to power after the courts nullified the 2019 results that initially declared then-leader Peter Mutharika the winner. A year later, Chakwera secured victory in the historic rerun.
Now at 70, Chakwera is seeking a second term under the Malawi Congress Party banner, while his main rival is once again 85-year-old Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, who is aiming for a political comeback.
They headline a crowded field of 17 presidential contenders, among them former president Joyce Banda. On the same ballot, Malawians will also vote for parliamentary representatives and more than 500 local council members.
Malawi’s Election Reflects a Nation in Transition
When Lazarus Chakwera rose to power five years ago, his victory was fueled by months of nationwide protests demanding change. Today, the mood in Malawi is markedly different. After half a decade of economic hardship, soaring prices, and dwindling confidence in public institutions, voters in the southern African nation of 21 million are heading to the polls with skepticism.
Daily struggles weigh heavily. Inflation has pushed the cost of living to painful levels, while persistent shortages of essentials such as fuel and sugar strain households. Natural disasters have deepened the crisis: Cyclone Freddy in 2023 and a severe El Niño-driven drought in 2024 wiped out crops, worsening food insecurity. The shock of Vice President Saulos Chilima’s death in a plane crash last year further unsettled a country already on edge.
“Malawians are weary,” said political analyst Boniface Dulani. “They want results, not just rhetoric. And this election is a mirror of that frustration.”
Dulani added that Peter Mutharika’s strong comeback bid, despite his contested 2019 victory, speaks less to his popularity than to the growing disillusionment with Chakwera’s leadership.
Malawi’s Election Faces New Rules, Old Rivalries
The fallout from Malawi’s discredited 2019 election reshaped the nation’s voting laws, and for the first time, the presidency will be decided by a 50% plus one rule. That means a candidate must secure an outright majority to win, raising the likelihood of a runoff between the two longtime rivals, incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and former president Peter Mutharika.
For many Malawians, however, the political drama is overshadowed by urgent economic concerns. Food and fertilizer costs dominate the campaign narrative in a country where more than 80% of people live in rural areas and depend on small-scale farming. Agriculture, especially tobacco, remains the backbone of the landlocked nation’s fragile economy.
Mutharika has pitched his campaign on restoring what he calls “trusted leadership.” For some voters, the message resonates. “Back then, we could afford fertilizer. Everyone was able to grow corn,” said Eliza Justin, a 34-year-old trader in an informal market. “Now, prices are killing us. We need Mutharika back to save us.”
Still, doubts surround his candidacy. At 85, Mutharika would be nearly 90 by the end of a new term, and he has appeared sparingly on the campaign trail. His choice of running mate — the former head of the electoral commission that oversaw the annulled 2019 election — has only revived concerns about collusion and transparency.
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