Boniface Dulani: “Malawians Voted Against Chakwera, Not For Mutharika.”

University of Malawi political scientist Boniface Dulani has described the September 16 election as a referendum against President Lazarus Chakwera’s failed leadership, arguing that former president Peter Mutharika is only riding on a wave of protest votes.

Dulani told Nation that Malawians judged Chakwera harshly for presiding over an economy crippled by soaring food and fuel prices, forex scarcity, and mismanagement of public resources.

“This election was less about Mutharika but more of a referendum against Chakwera,” Dulani said. “Malawians have shifted to Mutharika because he is a known quantity, and many hope he can at least restore stability. But the real story is that Chakwera failed, and voters punished him.”

A Protest Vote, Not a Love Affair with APM

According to Dulani, the outcome should not be mistaken for a renewed romance between Malawians and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Instead, it reflects public frustration with an incumbent who promised transformation but delivered hardship.

Chakwera’s government is accused of indecisiveness, fuel shortages, and a sluggish response to hunger and forex crises. Even in his Central Region stronghold, Dulani noted, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) lost ground as rising fertiliser prices crippled agriculture, leaving farmers disillusioned.

“Despite visible urban road projects, Chakwera did not meet the Centre’s expectations. People felt abandoned on bread-and-butter issues,” Dulani explained.

Northern Factor and UTM’s Collapse

Analysts say the North also played a pivotal role. Historian Chrispin Mphande argued that the region turned away from MCP because it lacked a credible alternative. Enock Chihana’s shifting alliances and the absence of Saulos Chilima left northern voters frustrated.

Dulani added that Dalitso Kabambe, who replaced Chilima at UTM, failed to connect with grassroots concerns. “He spoke in technical, macroeconomic terms while people wanted leaders who addressed their daily struggles. Without Chilima’s charisma, UTM lost its spark.”

The vacuum, he said, allowed Mutharika to scoop protest votes in the North, traditionally a swing region.

“Anger in Every Household”

Electoral politics expert Ernest Thindwa described the vote as an explosion of public anger.

“The economy is the only campaign message that does not require a messenger—it is felt in every household,” he said. He argued that strategic voting also hurt UTM, as many Malawians who preferred the party switched to DPP to make their votes count.

Chirwa: Chakwera Lost Both Home and Away

Cape Town-based law professor Danwood Chirwa reinforced the view that the 2025 election was Chakwera’s to lose—and he lost it spectacularly.

“Chakwera’s loss is a function of failing to defend his turf in the Centre and steal the North. In 2020, he was carried to State House by civil society and citizens tired of DPP’s arrogance. This time, people were tired of him,” Chirwa wrote.

The Takeaway

The consensus among experts is clear: Peter Mutharika’s resurgence is not a reflection of his popularity, but of Malawians’ frustration with Chakwera’s leadership.

Dulani summed it up bluntly: “Voters were not endorsing Mutharika’s record—they were rejecting Chakwera’s. It was a protest vote.”

As Malawians grapple with the aftermath, the verdict of September 16 echoes loudly: when leaders fail to deliver, citizens will punish them—no matter how familiar or recycled the alternative may be.

 

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