Malawi started voting on Tuesday in an election pitting President Lazarus Chakwera against his predecessor Peter Mutharika, with sky-high inflation and food prices at the top of voters' minds, Reuters reported.
Another 15 candidates, including former president Joyce Banda, are also contesting the presidency, but analysts expect a two-horse race between Chakwera, 70, and Mutharika, 85. If no one secures over 50% of the vote, there will be a second round.
CYCLONE AND DROUGHT HAVE ADDED TO HARDSHIP
Malawi has faced economic stagnation since former pastor Chakwera was elected in 2020, with a devastating cyclone and a regional drought wiping out crops and worsening hardship. Inflation has been over 20% for more than three years.
Polls opened at 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT), with delays at some stations due to problems with the biometric fingerprint readers.
The country of around 22 million people is also voting for members of parliament and local councillors on Tuesday.
The two main candidates have already faced off three times, with a dramatic turn in the last election when the Constitutional Court annulled Mutharika's 2019 victory due to irregularities and ordered a rerun which Chakwera won in 2020.
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