More than 7 million Malawians are expected to vote on Tuesday in elections that will test the country’s democracy and institutions. (Times Media)
More than 7 million Malawians are expected to vote on Tuesday in elections that will test the country’s democracy and institutions.
This is the first presidential race since the Constitutional Court annulled the 2019 results, a ruling that was widely praised across Africa. Five years later, the credibility of that decision is again on the line.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) says it is ready, with ballots distributed across the country.
By law, results must be announced within eight days. A recent high court ruling also confirmed that only physical results from polling centres can be used.
“The commission reaffirms its commitment to manage these elections with integrity, professionalism and transparency. We appeal for peace, patience and responsibility. Elections must be about ideas and choices, not violence,” MEC chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja said on Saturday, as the campaign period closed.
Voters will choose the president, 229 MPs and 509 local councillors, the largest ballot since multiparty democracy returned in 1994.
Trust in the process, however, remains low. A trial run of MEC’s electronic results system in August revealed errors, recalling the 2019 election when tally sheets were altered.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Transformation Movement and the Alliance for Democracy accuse the MEC of blocking transparency, especially in its deal with Smartmatic, a technology company linked to election disputes in Venezuela, the Philippines and Kenya.
In July, the Opposition Coalition asked the courts for an independent audit of the MEC’s systems. Last week, high court judge Chimbizgani Kacheche rejected the request, saying the MEC had acted within its mandate.
But Kacheche also ordered that electronic results must not be released until manual tabulation is complete. In an ironic twist, he delivered his ruling orally after being locked out of his written judgment when his laptop failed.
The opposition remains unconvinced. “Without an audit, how do we know Smartmatic’s system cannot be tampered with?” asked DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhito, noting that the company’s devices were already used for voter registration.
The campaign has also been marred by violence. In November 2024, masked men armed with machetes attacked protesters in Lilongwe. Opposition rallies saw clashes that left DPP supporters injured. Civil society groups warn that unchecked violence could worsen tensions.
The race itself features familiar figures. President Lazarus Chakwera, 70, is seeking re-election. His predecessor, 85-year-old Peter Mutharika, is trying to return to power after his 2020 defeat. Former president Joyce Banda is also running, which means three of the country’s six former leaders are on the ballot.
The death of vice president Saulos Chilima in a plane crash last year further unsettled the ruling Tonse Alliance. His United Transformation Movement party is now led by former central bank governor Dalitso Kabambe.
Meanwhile, Chilima’s successor, Vice President Michael Usi, is running independently, an unusual challenge to a sitting president from within the government.
Polls suggest Mutharika has a slight lead, but Malawi’s constitution requires a candidate to secure more than 50% of the vote. A runoff is likely.
Young voters, the largest group in the electorate, are unenthusiastic. Political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche said: “Survival is the main issue in this election. Sadly, none of the leading candidates offer real answers.”
Survival is no exaggeration. The World Bank forecasts growth of 2% this year, below the 2.6% population increase. Inflation is above 30% and an El Niño-driven drought has worsened food shortages. More than 15.8 million Malawians, 71% of the population, live on less than $2.15 a day.
“It’s the same old faces with the same tired promises,” said Mathews Saka, a shopkeeper in Lilongwe.
Observer missions from the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the EU and SADC are monitoring the vote. On 8 September, the Public Affairs Committee, an interfaith watchdog, organised a peace pledge. Most candidates signed; Mutharika did not.
“The 2025 election is more than a test of procedures,” the Institute for Security Studies said in a recent analysis. “It is a test of whether reforms can rebuild trust.”