Polls open in Malawi presidential election, in nation hit by soaring costs

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More than a twelve names are connected the ballot, but analysts accidental the contention is betwixt President Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika.

By Agence France Presse and AP

Published On 16 Sep 2025

Polls person opened successful Malawi with the incumbent president and his predecessor vying for a 2nd accidental to govern the mostly mediocre confederate African nation, battered by soaring costs and terrible substance shortages, successful a intimately and fiercely contested predetermination wherever a run-off is wide expected.

Polls opened astatine 6:00am (04:00 GMT) connected Tuesday with 17 names connected the ballot.

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Analysts accidental the contention is betwixt President Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and his predecessor, instrumentality prof Peter Mutharika, 85, some of whom person campaigned connected improving the agriculture-dependent system battered by a bid of clime shocks, with ostentation topping 27 percent.

Tuesday’s elections people Malawi’s archetypal nationalist elections since the 2019 statesmanlike ballot was nullified and ordered to beryllium redone successful 2020 due to the fact that of wide irregularities.

However, some of the men person been accused of cronyism, corruption and economical mismanagement during their archetypal statesmanlike terms, leaving voters a prime betwixt “two disappointments”, governmental commentator Chris Nhlane told the AFP quality agency.

Though some drew ample crowds to colourful last rallies astatine the weekend, galore younger Malawians were reportedly uninspired.

With astir 60 percent of the 7.2 cardinal registered voters aged little than 35, activists person been mobilising to flooded apathy and get young voters to the polls.

“We are frustrated,” said younker activistic Charles Chisambo, 34. “If radical ballot for Mutharika, it is conscionable to person a change,” told AFP.

“We don’t request a leader, we request idiosyncratic who tin hole the economy.”

The outgo of surviving successful 1 of the world’s poorest countries has surged 75 percent successful 12 months, according to reports citing the Centre for Social Concern, a nongovernmental organisation.

Two seasons of drought and a devastating cyclone successful 2023 person compounded hardships successful a state wherever astir 70 percent of the 21 cardinal colonisation lives successful poverty, according to the World Bank.

Chakwera, from the Malawi Congress Party that led the federation to independency from Britain successful 1964, has pleaded for continuity to “finish what we started”, flaunting respective infrastructure projects nether way.

Days earlier, helium announced a immense driblet successful the precocious outgo of fertiliser, a large ailment crossed the mostly cultivation country.

Lydia Sibale, 48, a infirmary head who had been successful a petrol queue successful Lilongwe for an hour, told AFP she inactive had assurance successful Chakwera. “The lone situation is the economical crisis, which is worldwide,” she said.

Chakwera was elected with astir 59 percent of the ballot successful the 2020 rerun, but, 5 years later, determination is immoderate nostalgia for Mutharika’s “relatively amended administration”, said expert Mavuto Bamusi.

“Chakwera’s incumbency vantage has importantly been messed up by mediocre economical performance,” helium said.

“I privation to rescue this country,” Mutharika told a cheering rally of his Democratic Progressive Party successful the 2nd metropolis of Blantyre, the heartland of the enactment that has promised a “return to proven leadership” and economical reform.

“I volition ballot for APM (Mutharika) due to the fact that helium knows however to negociate the system and has Malawians’ payment astatine heart,” 31-year-old pupil Thula Jere told AFP.

With a victor requiring much than 50 percent of votes, a run-off wrong 60 days is likely.

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