AFRICA/MALAWI - Incumbent President elected for a second term, as women take their place in politics

Lilongwe (Agenzia Fides) – The incumbent President Bingu wa Mutharika, 75 years of age, has been reelected President of Malawi, winning the presidential elections held on May 19 (see Fides 18/5/2009). The Electoral Commission declared that wa Mutharika won the Presidency with 2,730,630 votes. His direct rival and historic adversary, John Tembo, who has claimed vote-rigging, won 1,270,057.
“It is still too soon to make any comments,” Fides was told by Fr. Piergiorgio Gamba, Monfortan missionary who has been working for years in Malawi. “What is certain is that post-election Malawi is already a different country, which is changing at an impressive rate.” One thing to be taken into account, the missionary says, is the role of women in politics. “The women have gained an awareness of their role in politics that has still not been accepted by the majority of men in the country. The change has been taking place before our very eyes. While “the democracy of men” took time in conceding seats to female representatives and the 50% division of seats and posts between men and women seemed only a dream, the “democracy of women” was already on its way to claim its own rights.”
This is wa Mutharika's second term. He has based his campaign on the fact that he has changed Malawi into a major food exporter and during his term, there were three consecutive years of economic growth with over 7% in the Gross National Product.
International observers, in spite of the country's mass media that favors the President in order to sway sentiments in his favor in the electoral campaign, have declared that the elections were legally executed. Former President Bakili Muluzi, who has not been able to run for a third term, formed an electoral alliance with Tembo and declared that wa Mutharika won the elections and said he was ready to support the new government. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 22/5/2009)