Malawians vote for a new president next week in an election amid economic hardships as incumbent Lazarus Chakwera squares off against his predecessor.
Three of the 17 candidates for the September 16 polls have already served as president of the southern African nation and another is the current vice president.
The country is experiencing inflation of around 30 percent coupled with shortages of fuel and foreign exchange.
President Chakwera, leader of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), won nearly 59 percent of ballots in a 2020 rerun, denying a second term to Peter Mutharika, from the Democratic Progressive Party, who had been ahead in the first round election that was cancelled over rigging claims.
"I will vote for Chakwera because he has improved road infrastructure and supported youth businesses," said 20-year-old Mervis Bodole, a small trader from central Malawi.
"But the cost of living is still too high and many of us are struggling."
Outright victory requires 50 percent plus one vote and results are due a week after voting.
Results are due a week after voting.
Other presidential candidates are Joyce Banda, Malawi's only woman president (2012-2014), Vice President Michael Usi and former central bank governor Dalitso Kabambe.
For most Malawians, the choice on election day - when hundreds of local and parliamentary seats are also up for grabs - boils down to a single issue.
"The economy, the economy, and the economy - in that order - is what is driving this election," said Boniface Dulani, politics lecturer at the University of Malawi.
