By Isaac Salima:
Social and political commentators are calling for a review of the country’s electoral laws in order to guide eligibility of presidential hopefuls.
Eighteen candidates have, so far, obtained nomination papers from the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec), expressing interest in contesting in the September 16, 2025 poll.
If Mec gives the candidates the leeway to compete, electorates will have to choose, from the list, their favourite to lead the country for the next five years.
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Political commentator Mavuto Bamusi said there was a need to ensure that the right people compete for the highest office of the land.
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“We should start to think of a system that is ideologically aligned. Everybody who would like to participate in the elections must demonstrate that they are going to provide alternatives. I would strongly propose an amendment to our electoral laws, where everybody who would like to join the presidential race must show alternative ideas of, for example, improving the country’s economy,” he said.
Bamusi further said some candidates were motivated by greed.
“The majority of candidates would want to compete for the presidency as a way of getting some form of political employment within the system. It is also a way of splitting the votes by some of the candidates. Some candidates can be used to split votes in the strongholds of opponents,” he said.
Executive Director of Nyika Institute Moses Mkandawire said it was important for the country to come up with systems so that presidential elections can be held once.
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“Given this number of candidates, with the 50-percent-plus-one system, it is unlikely that the candidates can make it during the first round of elections,” Mkandawire said.
According to the Republican Constitution, one is eligible to contest for the highest office on the land if he or she is a Malawian by birth and also has attained the age of 35 years.
In the annulled 2019 presidential elections, seven candidates competed.
In the court sanctioned polls in 2020, only three candidates contested, where incumbent president Lazarus Chakwera emerged the winner.
Among the 18 candidates, five are independent with 13 belonging to various political parties.
Mec will next week receive nomination papers from the presidential hopefuls.
