Malawi Presidential Election

Rerun of the presidential election – after the 2019 election fraud

According to analysts, the election in Malawi is expected to be between the incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and the former President Peter Mutharika, 85, reports AFP.

Chakwera, who is a former theologian and preacher, is now running for a second term, writes AP.

Peter Mutharika was president between 2014 and 2020 and previously served in the government between 2004 and 2012, when his older brother Bingu wa Mutharika led the country.

The two also met in the 2019 presidential election, where Peter Mutharika was initially declared the winner. But the election was annulled after a court found that the election was fraudulent. And after widespread protests, a re-election was ordered.

Young People Uninspired by Candidates: “Frustrated”

The two main presidential candidates, Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and Peter Mutharika, 85, have failed to inspire Malawi’s large young population, AFP reports.

About 60 percent of Malawi’s eligible voters are under 35, and activists have tried to mobilize young voters to participate in the election.

“I would rather go to work than vote. Nothing will change,” says 30-year-old Joseph.

“We are frustrated. If people vote for Mutharika, it is only for a change,” says youth activist Charles Chisambo.

But not all young people share the skeptical attitude.

“I will vote for Mutharika because he knows how to manage the economy and has the welfare of Malawians in mind,” Thula Jere, 31, told AFP. 

Analyst: “Must Choose the Least Evil Option”

On Tuesday, Malawians began heading to the polls to participate in the country’s presidential election, according to several media outlets.

There are 17 candidates on the ballot, but analysts expect the fight to be mainly between incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera and former President Peter Mutharika, writes AFP. The two also met in the most recent election in 2019.

“Both embody unfulfilled potential and shattered hopes, but Malawians must still choose the least evil option,” political commentator Chris Nhlane told the news agency.

The country is going to the polls while they are in a deep economic crisis. The inflation rate has risen from 8 to 27 percent, and the agricultural sector has been hit hard by natural disasters such as Cyclone Freddy and the drought that followed in the wake of the El Niño weather phenomenon, reports AP.