The Young Politicians Union says the growing representation of young people in the forthcoming by-elections is a positive sign for the country’s democracy.
Executive Director of the Young Politicians Union, Clement Makuwa, says the development shows that young people have realised they are agents of change rather than tools used by politicians.
His remarks follow the announcement by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) of nominated candidates for the parliamentary and local government by-elections scheduled for 17th March 2026.
MEC announced the closure of receipt of candidate nominations on 21st March 2026. The Commission revealed that out of 83 aspiring candidates 61 male and 22 female five belong to the youth category.
Reacting to the development, the Young Politicians Union commended the young aspirants for showing interest in contesting, describing it as an indication that youths have realised their voices are crucial and that they must seek decision making positions.
“This is a good development and a starting point for young people in the country. The fact that they have made a decision to vie for positions is commendable, as we have been lobbying for increased youth participation for a long time,” said Makuwa.
Makuwa added that the increased participation is an indication that by 2030, more young people will contest for various political positions across the country.
“Change does not just happen; it is gradual and does not occur in a single day. In the past, people did not believe in the youth, but times have changed. We are now seeing young people in councils and Parliament, and that is a victory,” he said.
He has since appealed to young people to realise that the time to bring change is now, emphasising that confidence and determination are fundamental qualities of good leadership.
The Malawi Electoral Commission is scheduled to conduct by-elections on 17th March 2026 in four constituencies and nine wards, including Rumphi Central, Nkhotakota Liwaladzi, and Dedza Mtakataka Constituency, among others.
In these areas, elections were not conducted previously due to reasons such as the death of candidates and court injunctions.
MEC has also reminded stakeholders that a candidate can be disqualified at any point before polling if information emerges that could have led to disqualification during the nomination stage, including issues related to citizenship and age.
