Ahead of the May 21 general elections in Malawi, former president Joyce Banda has joined the presidential race with the formal submission of papers expressing her interest in contesting in the elections, breaking away from a previously announced coalition with current Vice President, Saulos Chilima.
On the 1st of February, Banda announced an alliance with Chilima through a press statement, forming a four-party coalition to take down incumbent President Peter Mutharika and the ruling party.
The coalition excluded the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which had come in second to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) during the 2014 general elections.
Chilima’s fallout with Mutharika was allegedly one of the main motivations behind the formation of this alliance, with the group making it known that a presidential candidate would be announced on Monday, the 4th February. Unfortunately, this never happened.
The alliance reportedly said: “There are grounds for a united front among Malawians discontented with the sad state in this country.”
Beating the alliance to its announcement, Banda reminded the people of the strides and accomplishments achieved during her tenure as president while surrounded by members and supporters of her party, the People’s Party (PP).
“My mission in life has been, and still is, to assist women and youth… through business and education,” she said.
“We have sat down with experts in coming up with an economic model like no other and we believe that, in implementing that economic plan, we shall change Malawi.”
Coming into power in April 2012 following the sudden passing of the president at the time, Bingu Wa Mutharika, Banda had started out as the Vice President.
Banda founded the PP in 2011 following her exit from the ruling party, DPP. However, during the 2014 presidential elections, Banda lost to incumbent president, Peter Mutharika, who ran under her former party, the DPP.
Not without a tainted past, Banda left the country after the 2014 polls due to her involvement in a multi-million dollar corruption scandal that has been infamously dubbed “Cashgate.”
