Democratic Progressive Party Endorses Peter Mutharika for 2025 Presidential Election

Malawi’s main opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has endorsed former President Peter Mutharika, 84, as its candidate for the 2025 presidential election. Mutharika, who previously served as Malawi’s president from 2014 to 2020, has vowed to address the nation’s economic challenges, including slow growth and currency shortages.
Mutharika will face off against incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who is campaigning for a second term. Mutharika is also working to form an alliance with the United Transformation Movement, though this partnership is still pending confirmation.
In the 2020 elections, Mutharika lost his bid for re-election to Chakwera, who was then known for his anti-corruption stance. The 2020 election followed a court-ordered repeat vote after Malawi’s top court invalidated the results of the May 2019 elections, which initially declared Mutharika and the DPP victorious.
In recent years, Mutharika has accused the current administration of politically motivated persecution. In August 2020, Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) froze the personal bank accounts of Mutharika and his wife, Gertrude, amid an investigation into a 5-billion kwacha ($6.6 million) cement scandal, alleging Mutharika’s involvement.
As Mutharika gears up for the 2025 election, his candidacy is expected to significantly impact Malawi’s political landscape, as he aims to leverage his past leadership experience and address the pressing issues facing the country.