"Counting is under way in Malawi after a presidential election that comes as the southeast African nation faces its worst economic crisis in decades, with soaring inflation, food shortages and the mounting impacts of climate change. Seventeen candidates are running for president, but the race is widely viewed as a contest between incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, 85."
"The rivals have met twice at the ballot box: first in 2014, when Mutharika won, and again in 2020, when Chakwera triumphed in a rerun with 59 percent after the original vote was annulled for irregularities. Long lines formed outside polling stations on Tuesday morning, before the turnout fell sharply later in the day. By mid-afternoon, the electoral commission reported only 51 percent turnout, compared with 64 percent in 2020."
"It comes as Malawi's 21.6 million people are grappling with inflation above 27 percent, foreign currency shortages, and chronic fuel disruptions. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, especially tobacco, but has been battered by the climate crisis. In 2023, Cyclone Freddy killed more than 1,200 people in Malawi and devastated farmland, while recurring droughts have worsened food insecurity."
Malawi held a presidential election featuring 17 candidates, but the contest is dominated by incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, 85. The two rivals previously faced each other in 2014 and 2020, with Mutharika winning in 2014 and Chakwera winning a 2020 rerun after the initial vote was annulled for irregularities. Voter turnout fell to about 51 percent by mid-afternoon, down from 64 percent in 2020. Both frontrunners face allegations of cronyism and corruption. Chakwera campaigned on economic recovery and restoring confidence, while Mutharika emphasized infrastructure; Malawi faces soaring inflation, currency shortages, fuel disruptions, and worsening climate-driven disasters.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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