Party atmosphere as Malawians prepare to vote

By Rob Wilson

Campaigning is going on all over Malawi as presidential, parliamentary and local council candidates are making final bids to voters.

The electorate seem really fired up everywhere we go, telling us that they can’t wait to get out and cast their ballots.

Pick-up trucks fitted with blaring speakers and carrying party supporters have been a regular feature of the areas we’ve visited.

Along the shores of Lake Malawi we stopped at a rally for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate for Nkhotakota North constituency, Chimunthu Banda.

It’s normal at campaign rally’s in Malawi for traditional dancers to get the crowd excited and this one didn’t disappoint. A troop of Gule Wamkulu dancers were in full swing when we arrived.

Asked about the party’s record, Mr Banda told us: “In Malawi when we talk about agriculture it is more about food security than anything else.

“For the past five years that the president has been in office he’s made sure that people have enough food and nobody has died of hunger, and that is our strength.” BBC News