By Chrissie Teleza

Malawi’s election management body, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), has announced the final list of candidates to run for president when the country goes to the polls next month.

A total of 22 people expressed interest to run for president by paying a MK10 million fee when collecting nomination papers. Two of the 22, Dalitso Chauluka of the People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) and Cassim Chilumpha of the Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD), failed to proceed to the next stage of presenting their nomination papers to the electoral body.

Out of the 20 who presented their nomination papers, three (Daniel Dube of the Nationalist Patriotic Party (NPP), independent candidate, Reverend Hardwick Kaliya and David Mbewe of the Liberation for Economic Freedom (LEC)) did not make the final cut after failing to meet all the requirements as outlined the Malawi electoral laws.

MEC chair, Annabel Mtalimanja, has now announced that 17 candidates, one woman and 16 men, will be on the ballot in the September 16 vote. Three candidates have held the high office of president before; one is a sitting vice president while three have experience of serving in cabinet. One candidate is former deputy mayor while seven have never held a position in cabinet, parliament or local council. Ten hopefuls are party sponsored candidates with the other six running as independents. Eight of the 16 male presidential hopefuls have picked women as their running mates.

The full list of confirmed presidential candidates and their running mates is as follows: