By Edwin Mauluka

United Democratic Front (UDF) presidential candidate Atupele Muluzi has accused rivals of stealing his votes during the May 21, 2019 General Election, saying such theft will not happen this year.

The Forum could not independently verify his claims.

In 2019, then president Peter Mutharika was declared winner, but the High Court nullified the result citing irregularities and ordered a fresh election. Muluzi finished fourth with 235,164 votes, behind the late vice president Saulos Chilima of UTM. Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was runner-up. In the 2020 fresh poll, the Chakwera-Chilima Tonse Alliance defeated the Mutharika-Muluzi ticket.

Speaking on the campaign trail in Lilongwe, Muluzi recalled how the disputed results humiliated him: “During the 2019 elections I got over 200,000 votes, but here in Lilongwe I was getting all zeros. I became a laughing stock. All three presidential candidates later invited me to confess that ‘we stole your votes.’”

He did not clarify whether those alleged confessions were meant to lure him into a coalition. He eventually joined Mutharika’s ticket, which lost to Chakwera and Chilima.

This time, Muluzi assured supporters the UDF has set up mechanisms to protect its votes in the September 16 election.

He argued that Malawi’s current economic hardships stem from electing “the wrong team” to govern.

“Sometimes we ignore the truth until something bad happens. I warned you then. Today, Malawians remember what I said,” he told the crowd.

Muluzi accused President Chakwera’s administration of fueling the high cost of living through corruption, failure to fix fuel shortages, and depletion of foreign reserves. He alleged that politically connected individuals were siphoning forex from banks to sell on the black market.

To revive the economy, he pledged to make fighting corruption his top priority, rebuild investor confidence, and attract international firms eyeing Malawi’s rare earth minerals—rutile and flake graphite.

“It is your vote that will end corruption and hunger in this country. Your vote will put money in your pockets,” he said.

Muluzi urged voters to trust his leadership experience, having previously held cabinet posts under Joyce Banda (2012–2014) and Peter Mutharika (2014–2019).

“Malawi will change for the better beginning September 16. Once elected, I will work for you,” he promised.