Malawians head to the polls amid fuel shortages, economic strain
The contest has been shaped less by ideology than by voters' frustrations over long queues at petrol stations and a rising cost of living.
Fuel shortages and an economic downturn have cast a shadow over Malawi's general elections today, where 7.2 million registered voters are choosing a president, parliament, and 229 constituency candidates.
Incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, a 70-year-old former pastor who swept to power in 2020 with 59 per cent of the vote, faces off against his predecessor, Peter Mutharika, now 85.
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The contest has been shaped less by ideology than by voters' frustrations over long queues at petrol stations and a rising cost of living.
At 06:20 hours, a Malawian diplomat posted on X that polling stations had descended into "confusion, noise, and disorder", as electoral officials attempted to organise voters alphabetically.
"Noise, shouts of anger, criticism," he added.
Seventeen presidential candidates are on the ballot.
Beyond Chakwera and Mutharika, the field includes former President Joyce Banda of the People's Party, Vice President Michael Usi, and former Reserve Bank governor Dalitso Kabambe.
If no candidate secures more than 50 per cent of the vote, a presidential run-off will be held.
For many Malawians, however, the election is less about personalities than whether any leader can stabilise an economy mired in shortages and slow growth.
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