As Malawi prepares for its tripartite general elections on September 16, 2025, President Lazarus Chakwera’s decision not to dissolve his cabinet has become a flashpoint of debate, drawing sharp criticism from opposition parties, civil society and political analysts.
While the Malawi Constitution does not mandate the dissolution of the executive branch ahead of polls unlike the automatic dissolution of Parliament under Section 67, the move breaks with established precedents set by previous administrations.
Malawi’s Constitution, particularly Sections 92 and 95, outlines the president’s authority to appoint and remove ministers at will, but it imposes no requirement to disband the entire cabinet before elections.
However, Parliament dissolved automatically on July 23, 2025, as announced by Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara, shifting the country into full election mode. In past cycles, presidents like Peter Mutharika in 2019 and 2020 chose to dissolve cabinets voluntarily.
Chakwera’s administration has not provided an official statement explaining the inaction, but supporters and government-aligned voices argue that retaining the cabinet ensures “continuity of government” amid ongoing crises. Malawi is grappling with severe economic instability, including inflation rates exceeding 20%, chronic fuel shortages, and food insecurity affecting millions due to droughts and Cyclone Freddy’s aftermath in 2023. Proponents claim that dissolving the cabinet could lead to administrative paralysis, halting essential services like disaster response, economic stabilization efforts, and international aid coordination.
This rationale aligns with Chakwera’s broader narrative of steady leadership. Elected in the 2020 rerun after courts annulled the 2019 results over irregularities, Chakwera positioned himself as a reformer. However, keeping the cabinet intact may also reflect a strategic calculation to maintain control over key ministries, ensuring policies like currency devaluations and fuel import deals continue without disruption.
