Malawi electoral Commission (MEC) has announced that in the first five days of receiving nomination papers from those intending to run for president, eight people (one woman and seven men) have collected nomination forms for the September 16 elections.

To run for president, a person has to be a Malawian citizen, a registered voter, aged 35 or over and be without a criminal record. Candidates of all political parties they are representing must also have their manifestoes vetted by the National Planning Commission to ensure they are in line with the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) vision.

Interested persons must also pay a non-refundable nomination fee of 10 million Malawi Kwacha.

The nomination period opened on Tuesday, June 10 and by close of business of Friday, June 13, seven candidates had collected the nomination forms, MEC said. One more person collected nomination papers over the weekend.

The eight people who have collected nomination papers include incumbent president, Lazarus Chakwera, former president, Joyce Banda and two former cabinet ministers, Kondwani Nkankhumwa and Atupele Muluzi.

The full list of presidential candidates who have collected nomination forms is as follows:

Joyce Banda of People’s Party (PP)

Akwame Bandawe of Anyamata, Atsikana, Azimayi (AAA)

Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP)

Adil James Chilungo, an Independent candidate

Reverend Hardwick Kaliya, an independent candidate

Atupele Austin Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF)

Milward Tobias an independent candidate

Kondwani Nankhumwa of the Peoples Development Party (PDP)