With just four weeks to go before Malawi heads to the polls, the mood in the country’s political arena could not be more different between the government and the opposition. The Malawi Congress Party (MCP), led by President Lazarus Chakwera, continues to project discipline, energy, and nationwide reach—while the opposition appears to be running out of steam and direction.
At a much-anticipated joint press conference on Friday, senior figures from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and UTM left supporters more confused than reassured. Many had hoped for the announcement of a formal electoral alliance—a potential morale-booster in the closing weeks of the race. Instead, what unfolded was a public display of mixed signals. UTM leaders were upbeat and active on the ground, but their numbers remain too small to secure a national victory. DPP, by contrast, looked tired and unprepared, its presidential candidate absent from the campaign trail and morale reportedly at rock bottom.
Malawi’s leading political commentator, Lyson Sibande, did not mince words. “I don’t know how I can talk,” he said after the event, describing the opposition’s posture as a sign that “the campaign has overtaken them.” He added: “Reality is dawning on them—they have become too few.”
In a telling moment, DPP’s Hellen Chabunya declared, “Kabambe is winning”, while UTM’s Patricia Kaliati boasted, “We are already leading with 43%, we don’t really need others, but they can join if they want.” To Sibande, this was the definition of confusion—two supposed allies sending contradictory messages in the same room.
“They had time to work things out, but they didn’t,” Sibande observed. “Prepare yourselves for 2030.” His message was blunt: this race is already slipping from their hands.
While the opposition scrambles, MCP’s campaign infrastructure—with over 200 parliamentary candidates doubling as local campaigners—continues to move with speed and precision. For Chakwera, the path to re-election is not only open but widening, as the other side struggles to decide which direction to take.
