After turbulent years marked by economic instability, natural disasters, and the sudden death of the country’s vice president, Malawi is set to hold legislative and presidential elections today.
Some 7.2 million registered voters will choose among 17 presidential candidates, elect 229 members of parliament, and fill 509 municipal council seats.
Malawi, one of the world’s poorest countries, has recently endured particularly difficult years, worsened by Covid-19, Cyclone Freddy—which killed 1,200 people in 2023—and the drought that struck southern Africa in 2024.
These disasters triggered a surge in food prices and pushed many Malawians into extreme poverty, at a time when the crisis was deepened by a shortage of foreign currency, the devaluation of the national currency, fuel shortages, and frequent power cuts.
According to an Afrobarometer survey (2024), 58% of citizens cite hunger and food shortages as the major problem, 28% point to the high cost of living and agriculture, and 26% to health issues. In rural areas, food security is the top concern; in urban areas, inflation is the main worry.
In a telling sign, a record 260 independent candidates are contesting the legislative elections, outnumbering traditional party candidates.
Current President Lazarus Chakwera (70) is seeking a second term, facing his main rival Peter Mutharika, an octogenarian and former head of state of this landlocked southern African nation, where half of the population (over 21 million people) is under the age of 35.
Other candidates include former president Joyce Banda (People’s Party), current vice president Michael Usi (Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu), and former central bank governor Dalitso Kabambe of the United Transformation Movement (UTM).
The results of the presidential election will be announced no later than September 24, while the legislative results are expected by September 30.
The electoral process will be monitored by observers from the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), COMESA, and the European Union (EU).