Malawi to head to the polls as Peter Mutharika seeks comeback

Malawians head to the polls tomorrow in a fiercely contested presidential election that sees former President Peter Mutharika attempting a dramatic political comeback at the age of 84.

Mutharika, who led the country from 2014 to 2020, is taking on incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, accusing him of wrecking the economy and mismanaging key sectors. Despite once hinting he was done with politics, Mutharika says he’s returning to “rescue the nation.” His supporters, particularly in rural and informal communities, say life was better under his leadership.

“At the time Peter Mutharika was in power, he reduced the price of fertilizers so everyone had the opportunity to farm,” said Eliza Justin, a market trader in Lilongwe. “People were able to sell and buy food. This empowered people to have what they wanted. But this is not the case now, because people are scrambling to buy maize.”

Mutharika lost to Chakwera in a historic 2020 re-run after Malawi’s Constitutional Court annulled the controversial 2019 election. Judges cited widespread irregularities, including ballot tampering and the use of Tipp-Ex correction fluid to alter results. The court’s decision marked a democratic milestone: the first time a presidential result was overturned in Malawi.

Now, with the country facing economic hardship and growing frustration, voters will decide whether to give Mutharika a second chance or stick with Chakwera.