Elections in Malawi

Today is the day of the elections of Malawi. We have been awaiting this day for a long time. Millions of dollars have been spent on the campaigns, tons of freebies have been given away, presidential candidates have been riding around on trucks filled with people screaming over loud music for days on end, and thousands of supporters of the parties have been paid on a daily basis to be extra supportive. Even so, the last few days have been surprisingly quiet, at least here in Nkhotakota.

There have been a few polls prior to the elections, but they have been showing a different result every time so nobody really knows how it will turn out. There are four candidates that seem to have a chance. The most probable seems to be the current president, Dr Joyce Banda. She was vice president when the last president passed away about two years ago and she then took over after him. Since that Malawi has been through a few financial scandals and hardships, so many of the people I have spoken to are very critical towards her as a president. However, she has spent tremendous amounts on her campaign, reaching out the even the most remote villages with her loud music and shows, her orange flags and chitenjes and her piercing voice roaming out of every radio in the country every day. Two weeks ago she visited Nkhotakota, flying around the country in helicopter on the final stage of the campaigning. Quite a luxury in a country where most people strive to survive on less than a dollar a day. According to the Norwegian ambassador of Malawi, Asbjørn Eidhammer, her campaigning funds originates from wealthy supporters overseas. Personally, I think she has overdone it a little.

Of the other probable candidates we have Peter Mutharika, the brother of the belated president Bingu Wa Mutharika who passing away left the presidential office to Joyce Banda. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs under the period of his brother. Then we have Atupele Muluzi, a 35-year-old courageous candidate who wants to give cash payment to all the poor in the country and free fertilizer. Finally there is Lazarus Chakwera representing a conservative party in Malawi with a not so conservative agenda. Actually I do not know what is the actual difference between the politics of each candidate, and I doubt that the average Malawian does also.

This morning I went with my friend James to have a look at the voting at a school nearby. The elections are coming along quietly, apart from a few impatient voters starting riots in the larger cities due to delays in opeing the voting offices. It will be very interesting to see the results coming up the next few days. Who will be the winner of the “big presidential erection”? - as they say here, with the Bantu impediment of distinguishing “R” and “L”.

My friend giving his vote in the local elections.

The voting slip for the Malawian presidential elections.

The election officers explaining about how to fill out the voting slip.

A local woman giving her vote.

Election observers from the German organization GIZ. The two girls in the car were not German, but at least they had come in from Lilongwe.

James' wife showing his voting identification.

When I asked James how they would know if he had given his vote or not if he came a second time to the voting office, he showed me his right index finger covered in ink. "Can't you just wash it off?" I asked. He just chuckled and smiled as an answer.