3 women after Mutharika’s job: JB, Sally Kumwenda and Florence Fulayi among 20 in Malawi presidential race

Three female presidential hopefuls have collected nomination papers to contest in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections as they want Malawi’s topmost position and they say the electorate must look the way of women, this time around as 20 pretenders, contenders to the throne emerge.

In the history of Malawi no woman has won a presidential race or even coming second.

The female presidential hopefuls are former Head of State Joyce Banda who is torchbearer of the People’s Party (PP), Sally Kumwenda Yadwad (Leadership with Compassion) and new entrant Florence Fulayi.

Fulayi is the latest aspirant to collect the nomination forms to join the race of challenging incumbent President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who is seeking a second and mandatory final five-year term.

Another one who has collected the forms seeking to occupy the State House on independent tickets is Rhodrick Makhambera.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said out of the 20 who have collected the forms ahead of presentation scheduled for between February 4 and 8, 12 aspirants are representing political parties, seven are independent candidates and one is representing a coalition.

The main contenders to the presidential race include Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi Congress Party), serving Vice-President Saulos Chilima (UTM) and Atupele Muluzi (United Democratic Front).

Leader of Alliance for Democracy (Aford) and Umodzi Party, Enock Chihana and Prof John Chisi have also collected the forms.

Others are former vice-president Cassim Chilumpha leading Tikonze People’s Movement—a coalition of six minor political parties, Chris Daza of Democratic People’s Congress, Peter Kuwani (Mbakuwaku Movement for Development), Chimbuna Belekiah (United Independence Party), Sally Kumwenda Yadwad (Leadership with Compassion) and Loudon Malingamoyo Phiri of National Salvation Front.

Henry Jailos Mdebwe, Smart Swira, Pastor Baxter Boyd Natulu, Ras Chikomeni David Chirwa and Reverend D.H. Kaliya complete the list of independent aspirants.

Each aspirant is expected to pay K2 million to participate in the elections and  submit to MEC  their nomination forms at Comesa Hall in Blantyre next month.

About 6.8 million Malawians are expected to vote on May 21 to elect a President, 193 members of Parliament (MPs) and 462 ward councillors.

There were 12 presidential candidates in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections out of which Mutharika, Chakwera, Banda, Chisi and Muluzi are set to appear on the ballot again. Chilima also appeared on the 2014 presidential ballot paper as Mutharika’s runningmate.