Africa's bloated ballots a danger

They might suggest inclusivity but, in reality, voters become confused and can't make informed choices

- Tatenda Mazarura

Malawians headed to the polls in what should have been a critical moment for the country's future. They voted for their next president, members of parliament and local councillors.

The economy is reeling. Inflation is pushing food prices beyond reach. Last year's severe drought has devastated livelihoods and left one in every four citizens food insecure.

This is just a glimpse of what is a very dispiriting context. And yet, despite these pressing issues — or perhaps because of them - Malawi's presidential race was a congested field featuring 17 candidates in a country with 7.2 million registered voters.

Among them were seasoned politicians, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, two former presidents, Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda, and current Vice-President Michael Usi. It was essentially a two-horse race between Chakwera and Mutharika.

Having worked in the field of elections and democratic governance in Africa, I have seen this trend play out far beyond Malawi's borders.

Zimbabwe's 2018 presidential election had 23 candidates, Mali's 2018 election had 24. In South Africa, a record 70 parties participated in last year's general election. In total, there were 14903 candidates vying for 887 seats in South Africa's national and provincial legislatures.

This overcrowding of candidates is also common in smaller nations with even fewer voters. In Liberia, with just two million voters, 20 candidates ran to replace Africa's first elected female leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in 2017. In Benin, 32 aspirants participated in the first round of the 2016 poll with 4.7 million voters. In Central African Republic, 30 candidates contested the 2015 presidential election in a country with fewer than six million people.

So, we must ask, does this abundance of candidates reflect democratic growth or expose the cracks in how political systems are functioning — or are there other explanations?