By Vincent Gunde
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary General Peter Mukhito has alleged that President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera is being misled, arguing that Malawians are weary of his leadership and will vote him out in the September 16, 2025 elections.
Mukhito said the re-emergence of former President and DPP leader Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has restored hope to Malawians who had given up on President Chakwera. He claimed that some people believe it would be better for Mutharika to be sworn in immediately rather than wait for the upcoming polls.
According to Mukhito, millions of Malawians are enduring hardship and see Mutharika as a “liberator” who can rescue them from daily struggles, ranging from food insecurity to lack of money in their pockets.
He accused President Chakwera of dishonesty, saying the Head of State constantly shifts positions and has failed to deliver on the promises he made in 2020, while continuing to make new pledges that remain unfulfilled.
Mukhito further cautioned the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) against boasting about high voter registration numbers in the Central Region. He argued that the region belongs to all Malawians and that every political party has supporters there.
“Central Region is not only for MCP. All political parties have their members and supporters. The region is for everyone, not just one party,” said Mukhito.
Echoing Mukhito’s sentiments, a concerned citizen from Area 51 in Lilongwe, Mrs. Elizabeth Kaliza Banda, said Mutharika’s political comeback has disrupted MCP’s calculations.
Kaliza claimed that MCP expected Mutharika to be politically finished, yet he remains active and influential. She added that many Malawians feel the September 2025 elections are too far away, insisting Mutharika should already be back in power since Chakwera has “nothing new to offer.”
However, Kaliza raised concern over reports that the matter of Smartmatic machines and the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) rejection of independent auditors to verify the voters’ roll had gone to court, yet no outcome has been communicated.
She appealed to opposition parties to reject the use of Smartmatic technology in transmitting results from constituency tally centres to the main tally centre in Lilongwe, arguing that the entire process should be conducted manually.
“MEC and MCP are preparing to plunge the country into political violence by declaring President Chakwera the winner against the will of Malawians,” Kaliza warned.
