LILONGWE, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Former Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Friday presented his nomination papers to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), with Jane Ansah, former MEC chairperson, named as his running mate in the Sept. 16 general election.
Mutharika, the 85-year-old leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), said he has been compelled to contest in the presidential race out of love for his country and its people.
The former Malawian leader described his running mate as a capable woman, noting that the two had worked together when Mutharika was minister of justice while Ansah was attorney general during the reign of Bingu Mutharika, Malawi's third president.
Mutharika's pick of the former MEC chairperson has been received with mixed reactions from DPP followers and Malawians at large, with experts describing the campaign ahead as "interesting and exciting" given the calibre of the candidates contesting for the presidency.
Another contestant in the presidential race is former President Joyce Banda, who submitted her nomination papers on Thursday, with Khumbo Kachali, her former vice president, as running mate.
The presidential seat has attracted over 20 aspirants, including the incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, Vice President Michael Usi, and former Reserve Bank Governor Dalitso Kabambe, among others. ■
