Malawi - September 2025

On 16 September, Malawi held general elections for the presidency and the National Assembly. The presidential contest was won by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate, Peter Mutharika, who had previously served as president between 2014 and 2020 and received 56.8 per cent of the vote. The runner up, with 33.0 per cent, was incumbent Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). By the end of September, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) had declared the parliamentary election results for 224 of the 229 constituencies (although many are being challenged). These showed DPP had won 77 (33.6 per cent) of the 229 National Assembly seats, followed by independent candidates (71 seats; 31.0 per cent) and the MCP (53 seats; 23.1 per cent). The share of women contesting the parliamentary elections was 21.9 per cent and only one of the 17 presidential candidates was a woman. The MEC reported presidential election turnout to be 76.4 per cent (up from 64.8 in 2020). International election observers found the elections were generally peaceful and well conducted but noted several logistical issues, particularly the late opening of polling stations. 

Sources: Nation Online (1), Nyasa Times, European Union (1), Nation Online (2), International IDEA, Southern African Development Community, African Union - Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa      

Voter turnout in Malawi’s presidential election reached the highest level since 2009. According to data released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), 76.4 per cent of registered voters cast their ballot in the presidential contest, an 11.6 percentage point increase on turnout from the previous presidential election in 2020 (64.8 per cent). Analysts have ascribed the increase to voter frustration over the country’s cost of living crisis, as well as renewed confidence in the MEC.

Sources: Nation Online, Nyasa Times, International IDEA

On 3 September, President Lazarus Chakwera signed into law the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Amendment Act, a piece of legislation intended to facilitate election day workers to cast their ballots. It does so by empowering the electoral commission to authorise workers (polling staff, political party agents, candidate representatives and members of the security forces) to vote where they are deployed, rather than having to return to the constituency in which they are registered. According to the government, the law is expected to enfranchise 80,000 of these voters. However, the law’s explicit exclusion of journalists and independent observers has been criticised by opposition parties and civil society, who have emphasised the important role these groups play in ensuring the integrity of elections. The law was enacted less than two weeks before the country’s general elections on 16 September.  

Sources: Parliament of Malawi, ISS Africa, Malawi 24