By Eddie Nyasulu
For friends who have been asking me about Malawian politics and what is going on with the elections, here is a quick rundown:
Right now, unofficial results show APM (Professor Mutharika) in the lead, projected to win without a re-run. In Malawi, you need 50% + 1 of the votes to become president. APM is 85 years old and a one term former president.
The current president, Lazarus Chakwera (a Reverend), came to power five years ago after the controversial 2019 elections, when APM had won a second term. At the time, many Malawians were not happy with how those elections were handled. Chakwera joined forces with then Vice President Saulos Chilima, and in 2020 the courts ordered fresh elections, which led to APM’s defeat. This had only happened in Romania before Malawi.
Later, Chakwera and Chilima fell out politically, and sadly, Chilima passed away in a plane crash last year. His death was mourned across Malawi and internationally, even by the UN. He was a young, energetic leader who built his own party and won over one million votes in just nine months. After his passing, KB (an economist) took over leadership of Chilima’s party and finished third in this election.
A few interesting side notes:
APM lived in the US for many years as a permanent resident. He practiced law and taught at several universities here.
Chakwera holds multiple degrees from African universities, but when he speaks English, he sounds American. The American accent did not help him this time around.
KB studied at the University of Malawi and rose through the ranks to become Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi. He was my preferred candidate.
The Malawi Electoral Commission still has a few days left to officially announce the winner.
