We are almost there. Just two days away. The 60-day official campaign period ends tomorrow at 6 am. It has been a buzzy and busy period of political chatter and clatter for the September 16, 2025 General Election.
Seventeen presidential candidates are in a race for the State House. Some 229 and over 500 candidates are in the fray for parliamentary and ward councillor positions, respectively. But you can agree with me of the presidential candidates, the most visible have been the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Lazarus Chakwera, Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), UTM Party’s Dalitso Kabambe, United Democratic Front’s Atupele Muluzi, former president Joyce Banda of the People’s Party (PP) and Michael Usi of Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu.
What is there to say about the other 11 candidates? Kondwani Nankhumwa of the National Democratic Party, Akwame Bandawe of Anyamata, Atsikana, Azimayi, Kamuzu Chibambo of People’s Transformation Party, Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo (National Development Party), Jordan Sauti (Patriotic Citizens Party); Independents Thokozani Manyika Banda, Adil James Chilungo, Cosmas Felix Chipojola, Phunziro Mvula, Smart Mulumbe Swira and Milward Tobias. I have not heard much from them and, so, I have not even a vague idea about what they will do for Malawi should any of them carry the day on September 16, 2025. They were just too quiet. Not even the Presidential Debate Taskforce could invite them to the two debate sessions it has conducted.
Be that as it may, one thing you cannot take away from them is that they are all well and truly in the race to Plot Number One. And so they will all be on the ballot paper on September 16. After all, there are many ways of killing a cat.
Back to the six presidential candidates who have been strutting the campaign trail, coaxing as well as begging the electorate for their vote. These have been to every nook and corner of the country day and night in search of our votes.
While some have judiciously and elegantly sold themselves to voters, many have been trying to sell us grand and outrageous lies. But we have heard them all through multiple outlets: rallies, debates, printed and broadcast media, digital and online channels, brochures and flyers and branded materials.
Social media has been as humongous a platform for communication as it has been endemic with misinformation and disinformation. The whole exercise has been a rollercoaster as candidates employed all the tricks in the book to outdo each other and woo voters.
Opinion surveys were also thrown in the fray. On a grnd scheme of things, they were one of the most abused tools for campaign. Of course, there was an attempt to give some of them a semblance of credibility. But quite a big number of them were suspiciously outrageous and came across as total fabrications such that no amount of effort to couch them in language aimed to sway the gullible public succeeded. I for one rejected all of them.
The 50perent plus 1 vote rule for a presidential candidate to be declared winner has no doubt played a big role in shaping the structure and character of the campaign. The requirement heightened tension among candidates and political parties alike as they were required to plan better and have more resources to cross the threshold. Ordinarily, political parties were expected to form electoral alliances to ease through the 50 + 1 barrier. But of the notable political parties only the DPP and the Alliance for Democracy formed an alliance. Instead all other political parties elected to go solo. Also of note is how DPP and UTM Party ironically led the pack in exchanging unsavory statements after their failed attempt to form an electoral alliance.
We thank God all the buzzing and razzmatazz is coming to an end at 6 am tomorrow. The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has warned that campaigning beyond the deadline will attract consequences. Thankfully, the official campaign has not been marred by political violence as it was earlier feared. The 60 days have been a huge contrast to the period before it which was characterized by tension and bloodletting especially between the MCP and DPP.
Save for a few skirmishes here and there, I can, therefore, declare without fear of contradiction that on the balance of things, the campaign period has been peaceful. This is obviously good news for the credibility of the elections.
My plea to voters: this coming Tuesday let’s all do the needful. Cast our votes and quietly go home. To candidates: after voting, patiently wait for MEC to do its job. To the winners: congratulations but celebrate with dignity. The losers: whatever you have invested in the election, mourn your loss with grace. Losing an election is not the end of the world.
