Malawians in the morning hours of Tuesday, 21st May, 2019 began casting their votes in the nation’s sixth general election, since changing from one-party state to multiparty democracy in 1993.

The Malawi Electoral Commission reports that 6.5 million voters are eligible to vote to elect the country’s president, members of parliament and councilors.

At 6 am Malawian local time (0500GMT), polling booths opened and will close at 6 pm local time (1700GMT).

A 21-year-old voter, Mayamiko Banda, said to Anadolu Agency at Blantyre Youth Centre voting station:

Unemployment is too high. Corruption is making Malawi poorer, so I want change. I want us, young people to have decent jobs, that’s why I came so early to vote.

Approximately 5,000 polling stations are open countrywide, where eligible voters will cast their votes to elect the president, 193 members of parliament, and 462 local government councilors.

The incumbent president, Peter Mutharika and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are facing stiff opposition from two of his ministers, namely, Atupele Muluzi (health minister) and Saulosi Chilima (vice-president). But a former church pastor and the leader of the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Lazarus Chakwera, is the president’s main rival.

In 2014, the then-incumbent president and Africa’s second woman leader, Joyce Banda, was defeated by Mutharika. Banda has long discontinued her presidential race and is now a strong supporter of Chakwera.

As at the time of writing, voter turn-out, which has been a major issue in the past elections has been relatively high.

The Malawi Electoral Commission’s chief elections officer, Sam Alufandika, told Anadolu Agency, that all the six major parties contesting in the election are supportive of the commission in enlightening the voters on the election process.

Youth unemployment, killing of albinos and corruption were the main issues that dominated the election campaign.

According to the Electoral Commission’s Jane Ansah, vote counting will start immediately after closing the voting centers at 6 pm local time (1800GMT).

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.