During a recent episode of the Times Talk radio show hosted by Brian Banda, Professor Garton Kamchedzera, a law lecturer at the University of Malawi, expressed uncertainty about Chilima’s potential candidacy for the presidency in 2025.
Kamchedzera referenced a 2009 case in which former President Bakili Muluzi took the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to court after being disqualified from running for a third term. The court ruled that Muluzi was ineligible, and in doing so, it also noted that even the Vice President, having served two consecutive terms, could not run for the presidency. Kamchedzera explained that this decision was based on the public’s desire to avoid lifetime tenures in the presidency, including the vice presidency, during the constitution’s formation.
According to the professor, Chilima cannot risk a confrontation with Chakwera because only Chakwera can help him resolve this issue by seeking clarification from the constitutional court. This is why there appears to be a peaceful relationship between Chakwera and Chilima. Chilima’s fate is dependent on Chakwera’s willingness to address the matter through the constitutional court, rather than Chilima attempting to file his candidacy and subsequently facing rejection, which would require him to contest the rejection in court as a concerned party.
