Chakwera casts his vote: I want to serve Malawi with integrity

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential hopeful Dr Lazarus Chakwera the torchbearer for the grand opposition Tonse alliance woke up early to join thousands that got the Malawi fresh presidential election going at his home village Malembo in Lilongwe rural on Tuesday morning.

After casting his vote, Chakwera, a pastor turned politician, with his running-mate, Vice-president Saulos Chilima of UTM Party said it is a great feeling to vote and hope it will be free, fair and credible elections.

“I want to serve Malawi with integrity. I want to be able to make Malawi united and be able to respect the rule of law,” said Chakwera to a mob of reporters.

“I believe this is our date with destiny and this is the time for the begging of a new Malawi,” he said.

Chakwera and Chilima support bases are complementary, according to Boniface Dulani, a political scientist at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College.

The MCP is strong in rural areas, especially in the central region the country; UTM does best among young urbanites.

One of the key promises for the Tonse Alliance in the current campaign is universal reduction of the price of fertiliser from the current K23 000 to K4 495 per 50-kilogramme bag. Other promises are provision of descent houses, creation of one million jobs and introduction of a monthly financial support of K15 000 to the elderly.