The octogenarian leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Peter Mutharika, is no match for the dynamic and vigorous President Lazarus Chakwera. Mutharika, like Joe Biden in the U.S., faces the reality of age, where Biden chose to step back rather than risk a loss to Donald Trump. In stark contrast, Mutharika is clinging to his role as the party’s presidential candidate, potentially leading the DPP into an unnecessary and humiliating defeat next year against the incumbent Malawi leader, Chakwera.
While Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spent the night with delegates to provide leadership and personally closed the MCP convention, Mutharika’s situation was different. “He’s an old man, he was exhausted and left. He couldn’t close the convention because he needed more rest. It’s disheartening to have him as our presidential candidate because, frankly, the demands and rigor of such a role are beyond him—not due to a lack of will, but because his body simply can’t keep up as it did a decade ago,” lamented an anonymous delegate at COMESA, wary of facing backlash.
Another delegate chipped in:
“We’re headed for defeat by sticking with him as our candidate. He won’t be able to run a robust and energetic campaign. Chakwera’s MCP is no infant party like Joyce Banda’s PP that we toppled in 2014. We’re practically handing this presidency to Chakwera with our shortsightedness.”
