BLANTYRE,– Malawi’s main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has officially endorsed former President Peter Mutharika as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election.
Mutharika, 84, who led Malawi from 2014 to 2020, accepted the nomination during the party’s national convention in Blantyre on Sunday.
In his acceptance speech, Mutharika promised to address Malawi’s struggling economy, which has been hampered by slow growth, foreign currency shortages, and ongoing fuel and medicine scarcities. “We come from a background of winning from the opposition. We will do the same next year. We are coming to fix the economy,” Mutharika declared.
Mutharika will challenge the incumbent, President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party, who is expected to seek a second term in the election scheduled for September 16, 2025. Chakwera, 69, won the presidency in 2020, pledging to combat corruption and accelerate economic growth. However, critics argue that his administration has struggled to deliver on those promises, as the nation’s economy remains fragile.
During his previous term, Mutharika, a former law professor, oversaw infrastructure development and a slowdown in inflation. However, his tenure was marred by allegations of corruption and cronyism, charges that he has consistently denied.
Mutharika also revealed plans to form an opposition alliance that includes the United Transformation Movement (UTM), a party founded by the late Vice President Saulos Chilima, who tragically died in a plane crash in June. The UTM played a crucial role in helping Chakwera defeat Mutharika in 2020, but the party announced its intention to exit the ruling alliance following Chilima’s death.
While the UTM has not yet confirmed its alliance with Mutharika’s DPP, such a move could significantly alter the dynamics of the upcoming race. The UTM has not provided further comment on the matter.
Source: Reuters