President Lazarus Chakwera and other presidential contenders cast their votes on Tuesday as Malawians turned out in large numbers for a closely watched general election.
Chakwera, seeking a second term under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), voted alongside First Lady Monica Chakwera at Malembo Primary School in Lilongwe-Chilobwe constituency.
The area is notable for being the only constituency in the country where both the MCP parliamentary and ward council candidates ran unopposed.
Former president Joyce Banda, representing the People’s Party, cast her vote at Malemia Primary School in Zomba.
She urged Malawians to maintain peace throughout the electoral process, describing the vote as a civic duty that should unite rather than divide the nation.
“After all this is done, we remain Malawian,” she said, accompanied by her husband Richard Banda and daughter Edith Kachale, an aspiring MP for Zomba Malosa.
United Transformation Movement presidential candidate Dalitso Kabambe voted at Chikumba Centre in Masambanjati constituency, praising the high voter turnout as a sign of democratic engagement.
The 2025 general elections mark Malawi’s first national vote since the landmark annulment of the 2019 presidential results, which led to a historic court-ordered re-run in 2020.
Seventeen candidates are contesting the presidency, with voters also electing 229 members of parliament and over 500 local councillors.
Polling stations opened at 6am local time (0400 GMT) and will close at 5pm, with results expected within eight days.
The vote comes amid economic hardship, including soaring inflation and fuel shortages, making leadership and accountability central themes in this year’s campaign.
JN/APA