Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda, is fighting to cling on to her job as the country is voting in a tight election which sees the incumbent facing three strong challengers.
Mrs Banda has been in power for two years after the sudden death of President Binguwa Mutharika.
Her reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid.
Her main challengers are Mr Mutharika’s brother, Peter; Atupele Muluzi – the son of another former president – and a former preacher, Lazarus Chakwera.
Mr Chakwera is the candidate of the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994.
Analysts say that despite the close race, President Banda is likely to win because of her popularity in rural areas.
The candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the presidential race as there is no run-off.
President Banda, however, believes that she had worked hard enough to deserve a re-election but admitted that the verdict remained in the hands of the people.
Malawi is one the poorest countries in the world and is heavily dependent on aid, with donors providing 40% of the country’s budget.
