The Democratic Progress Party (DPP), Malawi’s main opposition, has officially endorsed former President Peter Mutharika as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election in 2025.
Mutharika, 84, who led the country from 2014 to 2020, accepted the nomination at the party’s national convention held in Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial hub, on Sunday.
In his acceptance speech, Mutharika pledged to rejuvenate Malawi’s economy, which has been struggling with sluggish growth, foreign currency shortages, and resulting crises in fuel and medicine supplies. “We come from a background of winning from the opposition. We will do the same next year. We are coming to fix the economy,” he asserted.
Mutharika, a former law professor, is remembered for overseeing infrastructure improvements and a reduction in inflation during his presidency. However, his administration was marred by accusations of corruption and cronyism, allegations he continues to deny.
He will face incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party, who will be seeking a second term in the election scheduled for September 16, 2025. Chakwera, 69, was elected in 2020 on a platform promising to combat corruption and boost economic growth. However, his opponents argue that he has failed to deliver on these promises, as Malawi’s economy remains fragile.
Mutharika also announced plans to form an opposition alliance that would include the United Transformation Movement (UTM), the 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 the 2020 election, but following Chilima’s death, the party indicated its intention to withdraw from the ruling alliance.
