The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has formally written the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) requesting clarity on whether party leader and 2025 presidential aspirant Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM) can submit nomination papers through a proxy or must personally appear.
The development signals deeper turmoil within the party as questions about APM’s health and location remain unresolved.
The letter dated June 11, which the Pangolin Online has seen, is addressed directly to MEC Chairperson and we are told it was received the following day on June 12. It is signed by DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhito who is asking if electoral law permits alternative representatives to submit nomination documents on behalf of a presidential candidate.
With presidential nomination forms due for submission between July 1–5 at a venue in Lilongwe, the message explicitly seeks guidance on the legal acceptability of a proxy representative, citing no reasons for such a request for clarification.
Collection of nomination forms opened on June 10th and so far the DPP has not yet collected the forms for its presidential candidate.
Four presidential aspirants have already collected forms, that is independents Adil James Chilungo and Milward Tobias; Malawi Congress Party’s Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera; People’s Development Party’s Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Political analysts and voters alike note this unusual move by the DPP as a sign of crisis and a way of managing it.
Inside party circles have confirmed Mutharika being hospitalized in a South African facility. However, DPP leadership remains cagey, with Spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba and the General Secretary, failing to provide a consistent update on their leader’s whereabouts, raising public alarm .
Namalomba gave a statement that Mutharika is in Mangochi ast his Page House only to contradicted later by Mukhito who confirmed that the former Head of State was outside the country on a “private trip”.
Malawi’s electoral law does not explicitly provide for a proxy delivery of presidential nomination papers—only political party representatives submitting endorsement letters and fees via mandated channels to collect the forms.
Efforts to reach MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa or any official for comment, including whether the commission is preparing a response, have not yielded a response.
The letter makes public what DPP members and Malawians have already suspected, APM may not appear in person at nomination but this will give room for MEC to question his eligibility before election day.
Both Namalomba and Mukhito could not be drawn to comment on the issue. However, such lack of public clarity only deepens the perception that DPP might be scrambling for legitimacy in its candidate’s absence.
This confusion reflects broader internal discord within the DPP, fed by factional voices including the Ntcheu “cabal” figures like Norman Chisale and Alfred Gangata.
Now what would be the way forward for the DPP?
Should MEC confirm that proxy nomination is not permissible, the DPP risks being forced to present a new candidate or formally withdraw.
The national response on Mutharika’s whereabouts has been mixed.
While some empathize with the logistical challenges of an elderly and ailing candidate, major questions remain: Can a party nominate an absentee in absence of clear legal provision? Must MEC maintain uniform enforcement of rules, or offer tailored solutions? Will this controversy negatively impact voter confidence, and public trust in the electoral process?
The coming days will be interesting as Malawians are waiting to see MEC issue a formal opinion.
If proxy filings are disallowed, the DPP could be left time-strapped to adjust strategy or name a stand-in candidate. If Mutharika remains incapacitated or abroad, the party must rapidly decide whether to carry forward under George Chaponda’s informal stewardship or pivot to a fresh contender.
“If proxy filing isn’t legally recognized, the DPP’s nomination rests on a very narrow cliff,” said an electoral analyst in Blantyre. “Until MEC speaks, all eyes are on how the electoral laws are interpreted and enforced.”
Reports reaching the Pangolin Online. The DPP is in talks with the UTM on a proposal for an alliance that will have Dalitso Kabambe as presidential candidate with Alfred Gangata running mate. A full story will follow. Follow our Facebook page to be the first one to get the update.
