Peter Mutharika: Malawi Opposition Picks 84-Year-Old Former President As Its Presidential Candidate

• Former Malawian president Peter Mutharika, 84, has secured the Democratic Progressive Party's ticket for the 2025 presidential election
• Despite previously stepping away from politics, Mutharika returned, citing his supporters' desire for him to challenge President Lazarus Chakwera
• Mutharika pledged to address Malawi's economic challenges, highlighting his past success in reducing inflation and increasing foreign reserves
• Confident in his chances, Mutharika reminded supporters of his previous victory as an opposition leader and vowed to fix the economy if elected

Didacus Malowa, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Former Malawian president Peter Mutharika has secured the ticket to lead the main opposition, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), into the 2025 presidential election.

The 84-year-old, who led Malawi for six years before indicating he wouldn't seek politics again, is making a reappearance.

According to the BBC, Mutharika had a change of heart and now argues that his supporters want him to save the country from President Lazarus Chakwera's administration.

Mutharika pledged in his acceptance speech to solve the issues plaguing Malawi's economy, which has been beset by sluggish growth and a lack of foreign exchange, among others.

"I assure you that I will rescue this country from destruction, incompetence, and maladministration. Give us two years. We did it in six months in 2014. We were reducing inflation to single digits, and we had the highest reserves in the history of this country - $1.1 billion, this had never happened before," Mutharika said.

Why is Mutharika confident of winning?

The veteran politician fancied his chances at unseating Chakwera in the 2025 polls, observing his past victories.

Mutharika reminded his supporters that he'd previously won the presidential vote as an opposition leader.

"We come from a background of winning from the opposition. We will do the same next year. We are coming to fix the economy," he declared.

Mutharika's endorsement sets the stage for a third contest between him and Chakwera, with each having won one of their electoral showdowns.

The 2020 polls saw Mutharika lose to Chakwera in a rerun mandated by the nation's Constitutional Court, which had declared the previous year's election invalid.

Saulos Chilima planned to vie for presidency

On Monday, June 10, a military aircraft carrying Malawi's vice president Saulos Chilima and nine others was declared missing before they were found dead.

The vice president had intentions to run for the presidency in Malawi's General Election in 2025.

Chilima's declaration of his intent to run for the presidency revived conversations regarding his eligibility.

His path to the vice presidency encountered obstacles due to corruption allegations.

However, a Malawi court dismissed the corruption charges against him in May after the director of public prosecutions filed a notice to drop the case.

Chilima had refuted any allegations of wrongdoing.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke