Malawi Opposition Party Backs Peter Mutharika
Malawi’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has nominated former President Peter Mutharika, 84, as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election. Mutharika, who served as president from 2014 to 2020, has promised to address the nation’s economic issues, including slow growth and currency shortages.
He will compete against incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who is running for a second term. Mutharika is also considering a partnership with the United Transformation Movement, pending confirmation.
Mutharika’s previous re-election bid in 2020 was unsuccessful, losing to Chakwera, a notable anti-corruption advocate. The 2020 election followed the annulment of the May 2019 vote results by the country’s top court, which had initially awarded victory to Mutharika and the DPP.
In 2021, Mutharika accused the current administration of political persecution. Additionally, in August 2020, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) froze Mutharika’s and his wife Gertrude’s bank accounts as part of an investigation into a 5-billion kwacha ($6.6 million) cement scandal.
