Malawi’s Mutharika may struggle to be re-elected

Subject

Pressured Malawian president

Significance

Recurring corruption crises over the past year have seen President Peter Mutharika and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s popularity decline. Despite such travails, the DPP has recently attempted to consolidate its hold on parliament by co-opting members of the opposition People’s Party (PP). This comes soon after rebel PP members controversially supported DPP efforts to defeat an electoral reform bill that would have weakened Mutharika’s 2019 re-election hopes.

Impacts

• The opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) will receive intensified overtures from the main parties ahead of the 2019 poll.
• Despite the recent parliamentary setbacks, a civil society push for electoral reform is unlikely to subside.
• Failure properly to combat a cholera outbreak in the Central and Northern regions would put further pressure on the government.