Wetin to know as Malawi vote for dia next president

Malawians go vote for presidential and parliamentary elections on Tuesday, 16 September, afta one tough five years wey don see economic crisis grow worse for di southern African nation.

President Lazarus Chakwera dey run for a second term, im main rival na Peter Mutharika, one octogenarian (Pesin wey don pass 80 years) wey don rule bifor.

For di city, pipo no too follow di campaign sake of fuel shortages, wey don lead to long, frustrating queues for petrol stations.

Di rising cost of living na also major concern for voters.

Dem go do presidential run-off if no candidate get more dan 50% of di votes wey dem go cast for di Tuesday election.

Wetin Malawians dey vote for?

Di 7.2 million registered voters go take part for three elections once polling stations open at 04:00 GMT:

Who fit be di next president?

Among di 17 pipo wey dey hope to be president, two clear front-runners dey.

Chakwera and Mutharika go tackle each oda for di polls for di fourth time - though di third time bin no count.

Mutharika first defeat Chakwera for 2014, but wen dem declare am winner ova Chakwera for di next election for 2019, dem cancel di result. Chakwera win di re-run di following year.

Lazarus Chakwera - Malawi Congress Party (MCP)

Chakwera, na former theology lecturer and preacher, e no get any political experience wen e emerge as leader of di MCP for 2013.

Wen e run for president for 2014, e lose but for 2020, e win. E beat di incumbent, Mutharika for dat ogbonge re-run.

Chakwera time for office dey followed by economic palava and allegations of corruption.

However, di 70-year-old reintroduce train services for Malawi for di first time in ova three decades. E also oversee major road construction across di kontri.

Peter Mutharika - Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)

Mutharika, na 85-year-old former lawyer and law lecturer. E lead Malawi from 2014 to 2020.

E be di brother of late President Bingu wa Mutharika, wey die for office for 2012.

Like Chakwera, Mutharika also chop accuse of corruption allegations plus e dey linked to economic crises.

However, im supporters go argue say di current high inflation rate (around 27%) na proof say Mutharika manage di economy well pass im successor.

Mutharika age fit work against am for dis election - speculation about im health also dey ground, especially as pipo no too see am for public during di campaign period.

Other contenders wey dey gada attention na former President Joyce Banda (People's Party), current Vice-President Michael Usi (Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu) and former reserve bank governor Dalitso Kabambe (UTM).

Wetin be di key issues for voters?

Di economy

Malawi for long be one of di poorest kontris for di world.

Cylone Freddy bin devastate di kontri wey kill hundreds of pipo for 2023, den one drought sweep across di southern Africa di following year.

Food prices go up sake of short supply of crops, and e push many Malawians into extreme poverty.

Economists also say part of Malawi current inflation problems na sake of shortage of foreign currencies - known as "forex" - for banks.

In addition, Malawi dey forced to devalue dia currency and recently e dey crippled by fuel shortages and nationwide power outages.

Corruption

Wen Chakwera come to power, e promise "to clear di rubble of corruption" wey for long dey torment Malawian politics. Im administration tok say dem try well-well for dis area, but critics – wey include di influential Catholic Church - say dis no be di case.

Pipo para last year wen di director of public prosecutions drop corruption charges against high-profile figures.

Additionally, di Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) no get director since former boss Martha Chizuma comot more dan one year ago.

To some pipo, di failure to appoint new head don actively stop di fight against corruption.

Previous administrations also chop accuse of corruption. For instance, ACB say e receive kickback from one contractor to supply food to di police – e deny any wrongdoing.

One scandal wey dem nickname "cashgate" bin stain Banda reputation wen e hapun under her watch. ACB don clear her of any wrongdoing.

Di former vice-president death

For June last year, Vice-President Saulos Chilima die for inside plane crash. E dey popular wit di youth, Chilima lead di UTM party and e for be key contender for di upcoming elections, especially as e don fall out wit di president.

Although two investigations - one wey Germany aviation accidents agency carry out and anoda one wey Malawi govment-appointed commission – no see any evidence of foul play, some Malawians still dey suspicious of di authorities.

Opposition parties dey ginger dis mata during dia campaigns, as dem refer to Chakwera party as di "Chikangawa Party" (Chikangawa Forest wey be di site of di plane crash).

Wetin hapun for previous elections?

Since dia independence for 1964, na MCP bin rule for Malawi until di kontri first multi-party poll for 1994.

Since di shift from a one-party state, di United Democratic Front, di DPP, di People's Party plus di MCP, all of dem don enjoy a taste of power.

Chakwera victory wit di MCP for 2020 na one of di most significant moments for di kontri political history.

One general election bin hold di year bifor and dem declare Mutharika di winner.

However, di Constitutional Court cancel di election, say magomago full am, wey include di use of Tipp-Ex correction fluid on results sheets.

Judges order re-run for 2020, and Chakwera win wit 59% of di vote afta e team up wit Chilima.

Although Mutharika tok say di re-run dey "unacceptable", di Constitutional Court gain international acclaim for safeguarding democracy and say e refused to dey influenced by presidential power.

How Tuesday presidential vote go take work?

Afta di controversy of di 2019 election, Malawi implement one new system, wey a candidate must gain more dan 50% of di total votes to win di presidency for di first round.

Strong possibility dey say dis year candidates no go reach di threshold, wey mean say run-off election go happun.

Di MCP and DPP go likely try to bring smaller parties on board in order to secure majority for di second round.

Di electoral commission get until di end of 24 September to announce di presidential result for Tuesday poll, and di end of 30 September for di parliamentary election.

Counting go start for polling stations as soon as voting end at 14:00 GMT.

Di elections go dey free and fair?

Di court actions afta di 2019 vote don give some Malawians faith for di electoral process.

However, ova di past months, some civil society organisations and opposition parties don accuse di electoral commission say e favour MCP, dem allege say di top management get links to di governing party.

Di commission don strongly deny say dem dey biased.

Men wey wear mask and carry machete bin attack one protest for June wey call for di resignation of di commission top officials. Dis lead to concerns about freedom of expression for di run-up to di election.

Di assault no be one off incident - plenty reports of politically motivated violence ahead of di general election dey ground.

Fotos from polling units for Malawi elections