Why Bingu won?

• Most voters were young and first time voters and DPP campaign mainly appealed/excited the youth. Utilisation of whistle stop tours accompanied by DPP buses and Hammer cars added the pomp not mentioning the DPP branded sweets and other items.

• DPP started campaigning heavily way back before official campaign started and had all the government machinery/resources behind it just like most African governments

• Sabotage and other tactics deployed by DPP - blocked independepent candidate Nyondo from accessing his financial resources. It is alleged they also managed to convince some private institutions not to produce campaign materials for other parties - party cloth is a case in point. Am yet to confirm with Mapeto DWS.

• Monopolisation of public broadcasters - TVM and MBC Radios. EC through Justice Msosa collaborated on the same. Other propaganda materials aired also added to the damage as well as old speeches by Muluzi in previous election.

• MCP/UDF alliance worked to DPP's advantage - supporters especially UDF members felt disgruntled with coming in of MCP's Tembo as presidential candidate hence most UDF members seem to have voted for Bingu as presidential candidate. (UDF supporters acted as orphans)

• MCP/UDF alliance attracted more decampaining based on their previous involvements in past governments unlike DPP's which had almost none despite questionable governace issues as raised by CSOs.

• DPP utilised previous public sympathy i.e. budget sessions, Section 65 issues, etc.

• For the first time, Campaign 09 was issue based - DPP campaigned on food security and a promise for more development projects as opposed to UDF which mainly focused on revenging Bingu's move from UDF to DPP. UDF personalised much of their campaign around Muluzi as well as UDF.

• Delay in announcing Muluzi's candidature played a big role in delaying UDF's deployment of a full campaign.

• Court cases against Muluzi palyed a role as most people doubted his stand and decided in advance to vote for Bingu.

• Splinter groups within the opposition - NRP, PPM, MMP, UDF - missed out on a common front against DPP.

• Bingu's radical stand on Tobacco buyers and deportation threats. Managed to gain considerable inroads into MCP strongholds of the central region as well as other tobacco growing districts.

• Utilisation of youthful (new blood) MPs as DPP candidates as opposed to old guards within UDF and MCP. Natioanal Assembly is likely to dominated by more DPP members and a few Independents.

• Religion issues - Bingu appealed to more Catholic voters being a Catholic himslef and most Malawians are Catholics.

• Voters looked at long term needs as opposed to addressing short terms ones as well as favouring specific individuals like Tembo or Muluzi.

• John Tembo returns parliamentary seat.

• The Katsonga Brothers loose - Dausi wins

• Ex Speaker of Parliament - Louis Chimango fails to make it back as 6 professors from the northern region make it to Parliament under DPP ticket.

• Uladi Mussa narrowly wins in Salima.

• Cassim Chilumpha makes it to Parliament.

• New comer, Kingsley Namakhwa floors Bob Khamisa in Thyolo as Peter Mutharika (brother to Bingu) looses.

• Muscian Billie Kaunda make a comeback beating Malawi's fisrt female Presidential candidate, Loveness Gondwe in Mzimba.

• Gwanda Chakuamba looses in Chikwawa in a failed come back bid..

• Ex Finance Minister (and possiblly again), Goodal Gondwe wins big in Mzimba and Khumbo Kachali makes it too.

Page last updated: 25 May, 2009