As Malawi prepares to vote, and as other countries across the continent approach elections, we must resist the distraction of inflated candidate lists. Real democracy is not about noise, it's about clarity.

On 16 September 2025, Malawians head to the polls in what should be a critical moment for the country's future. They will vote for their next president, members of parliament and local councillors.

The economy is reeling. Inflation is pushing food prices beyond reach. A severe El Niño-induced drought in 2024 has devastated livelihoods and left one in every four citizens food insecure.

This is just a small glimpse of what is otherwise a very dispiriting context. The stakes couldn't be higher.

And yet, despite these pressing issues, or perhaps because of them, Malawi's presidential race is a congested field featuring 17 candidates in a country with 7.2 million registered votes.

Among them are seasoned politicians, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, two former presidents - Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda - and current Vice-President Michael Usi.

But it is fundamentally a two-horse race between the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and former president Peter Mutharika. Voters are thus confronted with a repeat contest between the same two leaders who faced off in 2019, narrowing the space for the kind of political renewal that leadership change often brings.

Having worked in the field of elections and democratic governance in Africa, I...