….Kabambe, Mutharika come second and thirdly respectively..

….Chakwera gets a red flag….

…No any Presidental Aspirant gets 50+1 vote

….Malawi likely to have a run off

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Former Malawi President Joyce Banda has emerged as a favourite in The Maravi Post’s online opinion poll, setting the stage for what could be one of the most competitive presidential races in recent history.

The survey which is on run from August 2, 2025, has attracted about 1,142 voters in the last 42 hours who were asked respondents to name their preferred presidential candidate.

The Maravi Post chose the most five popular presidential aspirants including Former Malawi leaders Joyce Banda of People’s Party (PP) and Arthur Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), UTM leader Dalitso Kabambe, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and current Vice President Michael Usi of Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu.

The opinion poll was set barely hours after DPP launched its Manifesto in Blantyre on Sunday.

All major political parties have launched their manifestos apart from UTM and UDF of Atupele Muluzi.

Survey Results:

1. Joyce Banda (JB), leads the field with 32% of the votes (370 ballots).
2. Dalitso Kabambe (DK) comes second and close with 28% of votes (323 ballots).
3. Peter Mutharika (APM) follows with 23% of votes (268 ballots).
4. Lazarus Chakwera, incumbent Malawi leader comes third with 15% of votes (176 ballots)
5. Michael Usi, current VP gets 0% of the votes (5 ballots)

Banda’s lead reflects her enduring presence in Malawi’s political landscape.

Despite leaving office in 2014, she retains a loyal base, particularly among voters who view her as a champion for grassroots development and women’s empowerment.

Her strong performance in this poll suggests that her return to frontline politics has been welcomed by segments of the electorate seeking experienced leadership.

Kabambe’s showing, just four percentage points behind Banda, is a notable development.

As a technocrat with a track record in economic management, his appeal appears strongest among younger voters and professionals frustrated with Malawi’s current economic challenges.

His campaign message of fiscal reform and modernisation seems to be resonating, making him a serious contender in the race.

Peter Mutharika’s 24% share indicates that he still commands a loyal following, particularly within traditional DPP strongholds. However, his challenge will be expanding beyond his core base to attract undecided voters who may be wary of returning to past administrations.

For Chakwera, the numbers may be cause for concern. Being the seating president, usually benefit from incumbency advantages, but his 15% performance suggests waning popularity among this online audience.

This could be attributed to economic hardships, governance concerns, or shifting alliances ahead of the election.

His campaign may need to re-energise supporters and address public dissatisfaction to remain competitive.

Vice President Michael Usi’s negligible poll numbers underscore the difficulty of building a national brand from a newly formed party.

Without significant resources, visibility, and a clear policy platform, he risks being sidelined in a race dominated by heavyweight contenders.

While these figures provide an interesting snapshot of online sentiment, analysts caution that the poll’s methodology voluntary participation by internet users means it cannot be considered fully representative of the entire electorate.

Interestingly, no any presidential candidates got 50+1 vote which will likely to reflect the outcome of the general elections of September 16

The poll results hint at a dynamic and unpredictable race that could reshape Malawi’s political landscape.

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-As Malawians gear up for the September 2025 presidential elections, early opinion polls are already revealing fascinating voting patterns among the electorate.

A total of 972 voters participated in a public opinion poll conducted on Sunday, 3rd August 2025.

The poll, which runs from August 2 to 16, aims to gauge public sentiment toward five key presidential contenders.

Leading the poll is former Malawi President Dr. Joyce Banda, who is representing the People’s Party (PP) in the upcoming elections.

Banda has so far secured 33% of the votes, translating to 323 supporters out of the total sample.

She is followed closely by Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, a well-known economist and presidential aspirant under the United Transformation Movement (UTM).

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Kabambe has garnered 29% of the votes, amounting to 285 participants backing his candidacy.

In third position is former President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who has earned 22% support, equivalent to 216 votes.

President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), and the incumbent head of state, finds himself in fourth place.

Chakwera has received 15% of the votes, representing 145 individuals expressing continued confidence in his leadership.

Surprisingly, current Vice President Dr. Michael Usi, contesting under the Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu Party, is trailing significantly behind.

Usi has captured a mere 0% of the vote, with just 3 individuals casting their support in his favour.

The poll, although not exhaustive or final, offers early insight into the political climate and voter preferences leading up to the high-stakes general elections.

With more than a week left before the poll closes on August 16, these numbers may shift as campaign activities intensify and undecided voters make up their minds.

Nonetheless, the strong showing by Joyce Banda and Dalitso Kabambe signals a possible appetite for leadership change and a reshuffling of political influence in Malawi’s top office.

The coming days will be crucial in determining whether these early trends hold or whether the tides will turn in favour of other contenders.