African Elections Project (Accra)
Tiwonge Ng?ona
19 May 2009
analysis
There are incredible scenes of long snake like-cues of tens of thousands of voters at various polling centres across Malawi.
According to a snap survey by African Elections Project journalists’ team, young voters’ turnout has been overwhelming. Their vote could be vital in this election that analysts have described as too close to call.
Going by past trends, voting in all past general elections in Malawi has been based on tribal and regional lines since 1994 when the country had its first general elections.
Malawi which has various tribal groups spread across in its 29 districts is divided into three main regions: the Northern region (which has up to 800, 000 voters), Central region (2, 400, 000 voters) and Southern region (2 600, 000 voters).
Central region is home to MCP presidential candidate John Tembo and it has been a stronghold to Malawi Congress Party (MCP) unless the current poll results prove other wise.
Southern region is home to DPP presidential candidate Bingu wa Mutharika and its also home to MCP ally, former president Bakili Muluzi who is also UDF party chairman.
The region has been a stronghold to UDF but of late it has been observed that the party has become less popular in the southern highlands districts (Phalombe, Mulanje, Thyolo, Blantyre, Chiradzulu as well as Mwanza and Neno) and the lower shire districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje. It is in these districts that DPP has shown some signs of gaining ground.
Analyst predicts that there is a possibility that in the upper land and lower shire districts UDF and DPP will share the votes.
But UDF is still popular in the Eastern region which covers the lake shore districts like Mangochi, Machinga, Zomba and Balaka.
Northern region is home to Ziliro Chibambo Petra’s presidential candidate, New Rainbow Coalition (NARC) presidential candidate Loveness Gondwe, Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) presidential candidate Dindi Gowa Nyasulu.
The polls are expected to close at six pm, GMT.
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I wish to congratulate all Malawians for a peaceful election. There has been no report of violence. FOr this, it's thumbs up for Malawians. Please maintain this spirit so that people out there believe Malawi is indeed THE WARM HEART OF AFRICA. Above all, I am most thankful to the Almighty God for leading us peacefully through the polls. Let all candidates accept the results of the polls as it is always the case that in a race, somebody wins while somebody loses. BRAVO MALAWIANS. YOU HAVE MADE HISTORY!