LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Civil rights group under the banner National Advocacy Platform (NAP) and other governance and political experts have backed President Peter Mutharika’s leadership amid age limit debate.
As debate rages over Mutharika’s age and fitness to govern, NAP therefore argues that public agitation cannot override the constitutional mandate handed to him by Malawians on 16th September, 2025.
NAP Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe observes that while the grouping respects the role of Civil Society Organizations (COSs) in promoting accountability, the current “mammering and agitation” on the President’s age risks undermining democratic institutions and the will of the people.
“The concerns being raised about the age of President Mutharika, however genuine they may appear, cannot invalidate a constitutional mandate that was freely given by Malawians at the polls.
“Elections are the supreme test of fitness. On 16th September 2025, Malawians went to the ballot and made their choice. That decision stands until the next constitutional cycle,” observes Kondowe.
This comes as someone CSOs have in recent weeks questioned whether President Mutharika, who will be in his late 80s during this term, is physically and mentally fit to discharge the duties of the presidency.
They argue that leadership vigor is critical at a time Malawi is grappling with economic recovery, youth unemployment, and regional security challenges.
The calls have intensified with some groups demanding medical disclosures and parliamentary oversight.
But NAP, a coalition of over 80 CSOs, NGOs and faith groups, takes a different stance.
The platform argues that Malawi’s 1995 Constitution does not prescribe an upper age limit for the presidency, and that fitness is determined at the ballot, not through public pressure.
NAP Chairperson Kondowe explains further, “We must guard against the temptation of substituting constitutional processes with street debates.
“If there are genuine concerns about capacity, our institutions — Parliament, the Cabinet, and the Medical Board — have mechanisms to address them. But let us not create a parallel process outside the Constitution.”
NAP further urges all stakeholders to focus on supporting the President to deliver on the 2025 electoral mandate: job creation, food security, and national unity.
“As Malawi navigates this conversation, NAP’s position sets up a clear contest of narratives: constitutional legitimacy vs public perception of fitness”, adds Kondowe.
Echoing the same, governance and constitutional affairs expert George Chaima believes that concerns and public discussions around the President’s age cannot invalidate the constitutional mandate freely given by Malawians on 16 September 2025.
Chaima observes that Malawians were aware of President Mutharika’s age and circumstances, and after considering all factors, “they made a conscious decision to entrust him with the responsibility of leading the country. That democratic choice must be respected, as the will of the people is the foundation of constitutional governance”.
Another political expert who spoke anomity adds, “Age alone does not bring a presidential term to an end. The Constitution provides clear mechanisms where issues such as incapacity arise.
“Until such circumstances occur, the President remains entitled to serve the mandate given to him by the people”.
He therefore appeals, “The focus of the nation should therefore be on delivery, accountability and good governance, while respecting constitutional order and avoiding speculation that undermines democratic institutions”.
Whether the debate fizzles out or escalates to Parliament, one thing is clear — the September 16, 2025 vote will remain the reference point for President Mutharika’s authority until 2030.
Leave a Reply