By Frank Phiri
BLANTYRE (Reuters) – Malawi voted on Tuesday in what is expected to be a close race between President Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, with a cost-of-living crisis and food shortages key issues for one of the world’s poorest countries.
Another 15 candidates, including former President Joyce Banda, are also contesting the presidency of the landlocked southern African state, which lies mostly along the shores of a freshwater lake making up a fifth of its territory.
Analysts said the most likely scenario was a run-off between Chakwera, 70, and Mutharika, 85.
CYCLONE AND DROUGHT HAVE ADDED TO HARDSHIP
Malawi has faced economic stagnation since former pastor Chakwera was elected in 2020. A devastating cyclone and a regional drought, both linked to climate change, have wiped out crops and worsened hardship. Inflation has been above 20% for more than three years.
Nearly three-quarters of Malawians live below the World Bank’s poverty line of $3 a day. Around half the population does not get the minimum number of calories needed for adequate nutrition, according to the bank’s estimates.
Voters said high food prices were at the forefront of their minds.
“Prices of livestock from farmers have been rising unstoppably. Business is down because we have had to raise the price of a kilogram of beef to 15,000 kwacha ($8.74) from 8,000 last year,” said Patrick Tito, a butcher in the commercial capital, Blantyre. “I hope my vote addresses this.”
Another Blantyre resident, Alindiine Bellison Kazembe, said she was struggling to feed her four children.
“I have voted for the candidate that I am confident will solve the hunger problem,” said the 32-year-old, who works as a maid.
BOTH MAJOR CANDIDATES ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION
Polls opened at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) and voting appeared to be going smoothly, despite problems reported with the biometric fingerprint readers at some stations.
The country of around 22 million people is also voting for members of parliament and local councillors.
Either Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party or Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party will likely form a coalition with smaller parties to obtain a parliamentary majority, analysts said.
Corruption scandals have contributed to disillusionment with both leaders.
Former law professor Mutharika was credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation during his 2014 to 2020 presidency, but critics accused him of cronyism, which he denied.
Chakwera came to office pledging to clean up graft, but his handling of cases has been criticised as selective and slow.
LEADERS HAVE FACED OFF BEFORE
“This election is a vote against Lazarus Chakwera’s record and performance in office,” said Boniface Dulani, a political scientist at the University of Malawi.
“My forecast is that the opposition candidate could take the lead but still poll below the 50+1 requirement,” he said. If no candidate secures more than 50% of votes, there will be a second round.
Chakwera and Mutharika have already faced off three times, with a dramatic turn in the last election when the Constitutional Court annulled Mutharika’s 2019 victory due to irregularities and ordered a re-run, which Chakwera won in 2020.
Results are usually released within a week.
($1 = 1,717.0200 kwacha)
(Additional reporting by Siyanda Mthethwa; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Tim Cocks and Alex Richardson)
