Malawi presidential elections: Who runs and what is at stake? | Agriculture news

Malawians vote to elect their next president amid a deep economic crisis in one of the poorest and most climatic countries in Africa.

The small nation in Southeast Africa has been subjected to enlarged two numbers, causing food prices for several months so far. It came after the very drought events last year. Earlier, in 2023, Hurricane Freddy, who struck the area, hit Malawi more difficult, killing more than 1,000 people and devastating lives.

Recommended stories

List of 3 elementsThe end of the list

In Tuesday’s elections, voters also choose parliamentarians and local advisers in 35 local governments.

Malawi is famous for its hot tourist points, such as Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa, as well as the gardens of nature and wildlife.

The country’s population is 21.6 million. Lilongwe is the capital, and Blantyre is the commercial nerve center.

Here is what to know about the elections:

How does a vote happen?

The elections started in the morning on Tuesday and will end in the evening.

About 7.2 million people were registered to vote through 35 from the local government authority, according to the Electoral Committee.

To appear as a president, the candidate must get more than 50 percent of the votes. If not, the flow process must be held. The presidential results will be published by September 24.

A total of 299 members of the ongoing parliament and 509 consultants will be elected. Parliamentary results will be published by September 30.

Who are the main competitors?

Seventeen presidential candidates run for this position. However, the race is largely considered a bilateral racing between the current president of Lazaros Chakuerra and former leader Peter Muttatika.

Lazaros: The president and leader of the 70-year-old McLei Conference (MCP) hopes to secure-Al-Wahd-according to the constitution.

The former preacher in 2020 was historically, after the court ruled that there were violations in the 2019 elections, and ordered to restart. Chakuerra’s victory in this second vote is the first time in African history, in which the opposition candidate won the restart elections.

However, Chakuerra has been characterized by high levels of inflation, and recently, a lack of fuel. There were also many allegations of corruption, especially favoritism, against it. In 2021, the president occupied the headlines when he appointed his daughter, Violet Chakuera Mouasinga, as a diplomat for Brussels.

In his campaigns, Chakwera asked for more time to work to reduce the country’s current economic recession. He and his government officials blamed some difficulties for dehydration in the past year, and cholera spread between 2022 and 2024, and destroyed it. Freddy Hurricane In February 2023.

Supporters note that ChakWera has already supervised the main road building work through Malawi and restart the train services after more than 30 years.

He previously ran in 2014, but he did not succeed.

Peter Mawtharika: The leader of the 85 -year -old Democratic Party (DPP) is looking to return after he was defeated by Chakwera in 2020.

A former law professor, Mawtakika, carried out a campaign on economic gains, and Malawi said under his leadership, on the pretext that things were better during his work period than the current leadership. He led Malawi from 2014 to 2020.

While it is attributed to lowering inflation and starting the major infrastructure projects, it faces the scandals of corruption in his time. In 2018, Malawi moved to the streets to protest his alleged involvement in a bribery scandal that saw a businessman paying 200,000 kicks to his party. Mutharika was later cleared of any violations.

Critics speculated about the age of Mawtharika, noting that he was not particularly active during the campaign. Mutharika is the brother of former President Pingo Wa Motatika, who died in his position in 2012.

Among the other presidential competitors are the following:

• Joyce Panda – The only president of Malawi from 2012 to 2014, from the People’s Party. She was previously a president of the president during the Bingo and Mutharika era.
• Michael Oussi – The former vice president who is food is not the case party.

What is on the test in these elections?

The stalled economy

Although Malawi exports tobacco, tea and other agricultural products, the country is largely dependent on aid. It is also under pressure from the accumulated external debt.

For Malawi voters, high food prices and daily materials are the most urgent issue in voting. Food costs increased by about 30 percent last year, but salaries remained largely as they were. Meanwhile, fertilizer costs increased to 80 percent of Malawi who survived the transplantation of subsistence.

Economists raise the recession crisis to the lack of foreign currency, which have limited decisive imports, including fertilizers and fuel.

Nowadays, the country faces a sharp shortage of fuel, as hundreds of fuel stations are lined daily. Chakwera blames corrupt officials, who says he deliberately overcomes fuel markets, for the problem.

In May, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ended a $ 175 million loan program after failing to provide early results. Only 35 million dollars were spent. Officials said there are more likely negotiations for the new International Monetary Fund program after the elections.

Earlier, in February, the underground citizens moved to the streets Lilongoy and Blantire in protest against the high cost of living. Some voters, especially young people, feel that it will not change much, whether they vote or not.

While Mutharika carried a campaign on his economic record while he was in office, ChakWera pledged a cash transfer program of 500,000 Malawi Kwacha ($ 290) for the new iron, which they can reach at the age of 18.

corruption

Corruption crises resulted in the destruction of the governments of Mutharika and Shakura, something that many millions say they are tired of it.

While Chakuerra talked about its strength in combating illegal gain since he became head of state in 2020, he has faced criticism of favoritism scandals and to deal with corruption selectively.

Meanwhile, candidate Joyce Panda also promised to fight corruption if elected. As a president, Panda fully fired her men in 2013, following the news that some government officials were arrested with large cash amounts in their homes.

Drought and harsh weather

Malawi is one of the most climatic climatic countries, although it does not contribute significantly to emissions. With the majority of people who rely on food transplantation of food, harsh weather events often hit Malawi.

Climate activist Chikondi Chapotta Al -Jazeera said that governments in the past have not invested enough in building systems, such as food systems, which could absorb climate shocks. Women and girls, in particular, said, they are often more affected than the double strike of weather disasters and inflation that follows often.

Chapotta said: “The creation of a temporary store for affected people should be a priority because science tells us that these events will get worse.” She added, “Malawi’s lives must improve through policies that show seriousness,” in the face of environmental challenges.

Millions of people were affected for several months in 2024, after he destroyed the severe harvest, led by Nino weather patterns.

According to the World Food Program, hundreds of thousands across the country were forced to rely on food aid to survive as Malawi declared a state of emergency.

In February 2023, Hurricane Freddy, who was one of the bloodiest storms in Africa in the past two decades, has caused 1216 deaths. It also eliminated crops and caused a lack of food.