Political pundits have said the pattern of results from the March 17 2026 parliamentary and local government by-elections demonstrate voters’ shift in preferences from political party loyalty to candidate capabilities.
Unofficial results from four parliamentary constituencies and nine wards show a fragmented outcome, with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) securing one parliamentary seat and four wards.
Independent candidates are set to claim one parliamentary seat and three local government wards while main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is poised to win one parliamentary seat and one ward, UTM Party one parliamentary seat and Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu has won one ward.
Reacting to the results, political pundits said the mixed outcome point to an evolving electoral landscape in which personality, credibility and local appeal are becoming decisive factors, even as major parties retain pockets of influence, offering key lessons ahead of future polls.
In an interview yesterday, Nyika Institute director Moses Mkandawire said the results reflect a growing demand for capable and credible leadership.
“Malawians are now saying it is time we elect people that would add value to politics,” he said, urging political parties to field candidates with both competence and integrity.
But Mkandawire noted that the DPP’s performance, particularly in local government races, still reflects a level of public confidence in the governing party.
On voter turnout, he attributed the low participation partly to adverse weather conditions but also to the generally low interest in by-elections, stressing the need for enhanced civic and voter education.
Political analyst George Chaima said the results send a strong message against regional voting patterns, with voters increasingly focusing on individual merit rather than party strongholds.
He agreed with Mkandawire that the DPP’s gains suggest that the party remains attractive to voters, particularly those seeking alignment with the governing side.
“Being a party in government, people want their representative to be part of government,” said Chaima.
DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba said while the party had hoped to win more seats, the results demonstrate the strength of Malawi’s democracy.
He said the party will conduct a postmortem to assess its performance, noting that internal competition, including members contesting as independents, may have split votes.
“Of course the weather has not been good and it affected the campaign but also the voter turnout,” said Namalomba.
MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila said she needed more time to comment on the unofficial results while UTM Party spokesperson Felix Njawala could not be reached.
In the parliamentary races, unofficial results indicated that Independent candidate Mavuto Gulo has a commanding lead in Blantyre West with 5 178 votes while UTM Party’s Mathews Mtumbuka is leading in Rumphi Central with 6 395 votes. DPP’s Thokozile Lunji ihas an advantage in Nkhotakota Liwaladzi with 4 742 votes, and MCP’s Patrick Bandawe took Dedza Mtakataka with 7 080 votes.
By press time last evening, results for Mikongo Ward in Mangochi North East constituency were yet to arrive at the Bingu International Convention Centre, where the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has set up the National Tally Centre. MEC said bad roads due to the heavy rains that poured across the country are contributing to the delay.
