The battle for Malawi’s presidency looks all but decided. A new nationwide survey has delivered a thunderous message: President Lazarus Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are on course for a first-round knockout next week.
The respected International Institute for Research and Development (IIRD) has spoken — and the numbers are devastating for the opposition. MCP sits at a commanding 56.5%, already sailing past the 50% plus one threshold needed to seal victory without a runoff. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), clinging to memories of past glories, trails badly at 27.2%. UTM limps far behind with just 6.6%, its urban pockets no match for MCP’s nationwide wave.
From Nsanje to Chitipa, the red tide is unstoppable. The Central Region remains MCP’s fortress at a staggering 79.1%, while the Northern Region has fallen firmly into Chakwera’s hands with 63.5%. Even in the South, once considered DPP’s iron grip, Chakwera has cracked the wall — securing 33.9% and eating into Peter Mutharika’s shrinking backyard.
The message is clear: Malawians are not buying recycled promises from aging politicians. They are choosing a leader who has carried them through storms and is still building roads, hospitals, and schools when others only offer noise.
Analysts note the irony: while Mutharika hides behind sycophants and can barely campaign, Chakwera has outworked the field — walking villages, filling rallies, and reminding Malawians that progress belongs to those who dare to move forward, not backward.
The IIRD survey hammers the final nail: “MCP remains the only party with a credible path to a first-round victory.” In other words, the opposition has already lost.
Come 16 September, Malawians will not just vote. They will crown Chakwera once again, proving that when the people speak with one voice, no propaganda, no sabotage, and no amount of noise can stop the will of the nation.
