Malawi has handed Peter Mutharika, an 85-year-old former law professor, a dramatic return to the presidency after a decisive election victory. The electoral commission announced that Mutharika secured nearly 57 percent of ballots, far ahead of President Lazarus Chakwera’s 33 percent. His swearing-in is expected within a month.
Mutharika, who ruled from 2014 to 2020, was remembered for relative economic stability, including single-digit inflation and affordable fertiliser, though debt and corruption stained his legacy. His return follows a turbulent political journey. A narrow 2019 victory was annulled after evidence of tampering, leading to Chakwera’s triumph in a rerun.
The Democratic Progressive Party campaigned on the slogan “return to proven leadership,” appealing to a young and restless nation weary of economic mismanagement under Chakwera. Analysts say his popularity draws strength from memory rather than mobility. “His strength relies very much in his legacy,” noted Mavuto Bamusi of the Malawi Political Science Association.
Born into political prominence, Mutharika studied law in London and at Yale before teaching in the United States for decades. He returned in the 1990s to help draft Malawi’s democratic constitution, later rising under his brother, President Bingu wa Mutharika.
His career was marked by scandal. In 2012, he was accused of attempting to delay announcing his brother’s death to secure succession. Treason charges were dropped after his 2014 win. Later, a $200,000 donation from a businessman under investigation triggered a public outcry.
Despite controversies, his past stewardship shines when contrasted with Chakwera’s record of 33 percent inflation, food shortages, and fuel crises. Many voters viewed him less as a saviour and more as a reprieve from disappointment. Yet doubts linger. “The economic problems we are in require quite a lot,” said Professor Boniface Dulani. “I don’t think that’s going to happen.”