Following the official announcement by the Unites States president, Joe Biden, that he will stand aside in the upcoming US presidential election, the social media space in Malawi has been abuzz with discussions and criticisms surrounding Malawi’s former President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s (APM) insistence on seeking re-election in the 2025.
Mutharika, who will be 85 years old by September next year when the country holds general elections, is posturing himself as a presidential candidate for his brother’s party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), while tactically repelling off other candidature hopefuls in the party. This move has drawn widespread derision from Malawians, who have compared it to yesterday’s decision by the 81-year-old US President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
While Biden’s withdrawal is superficially voluntary, deeper dive into the cause reveal pressure for Republican Party stakeholders who feel Biden has lost his intellectual fitness due to old age.
Malawians from all walks of life have taken to social media to express their disappointment with Mutharika’s “insatiable hunger for power” and have warned that it poses a significant threat to the country’s democratic progress. They have challenged the 84-year-old former president to take a cue from Biden and gracefully bow out of active politics, allowing the younger generation to take the reins.
“Kumamvatu APM osamangoti ndili ndi mphamvu. Umapatsidwa ulemu munthu ukavomereza wekha. Osati kakaka kumalimbana ndi ana [Accept defeat APM! Don’t be obstinate. You can only be given respect when you accept defeat. Don’t be adamant on competing with the youth],” commented Massah P., echoing the sentiment of many who condemn Mutharika’s purging of the youthful candidates in the DPP who sought the parties leadership.
Others, such as Don Tarz, have urged Mutharika to acknowledge his advanced age and humbly bow out of active politics, while Fatsani Chione has mocked him for clinging to power when his age-mates are leaving political offices.
The social media users have also expressed concerns that Mutharika’s continued political ambitions could further divide his party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), with some alleging that prominent figures like Kondwani Nankhumwa and Dalitso Kabambe have already left the party due to Mutharika’s “dictatorial” tendencies.
The comparison to Biden’s decision has not gone unnoticed, with Sean Dynasty asserting that it is “high time the former Head of State considered leaving the stage and allow the younger generations run the show both in government as well as political parties.”
The general sentiment among Malawians is that Mutharika should follow in Biden’s footsteps and prioritize the country’s democratic future over his personal political ambitions. As the debates continue to unfold on social media, the call for a generational change in Malawi’s leadership appears to be gaining momentum.
