By Chisomo Phiri
Second Vice President Enock Chihana has called on Malawians to exercise patience and give president Peter Mutharika time, as the exact date for his swearing-in ceremony is yet to be announced.
Speaking to local media on Wednesday, Chihana said Mutharika is currently occupied with the process of constituting a new government and is expected to be sworn in within the next few days.
“I am the Second Vice President Designate, appointed by the President in accordance with the law and our agreement with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),” said Chihana.
He added:“President Professor Peter Mutharika knows what he is doing. He is an experienced and well-seasoned leader.”
Chihana further stated that once officially sworn in, he will fully support and implement the president’s directives.
Mutharika on October 5, 2025, appointed Chihana as second vice-president-elect to honour an agreement that Alliance for Democracy (AFORD ) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made as part of the Blue Alliance conditions.
The appointment of Second vice-president is based on Section 80(5) of the Constitution which allows the President to appoint a person into that office where he ‘considers it desirable in the national interest so to do’.
The law further states that the appointee should be from an opposition political party.
Unlike the first vice-president who is elected alongside the President, the second vice-president can be fired from the position.
The second vice presidency is not new in
Malawi’s political history.
The position was first introduced under President Bakili Muluzi’s administration, with Enock Chihana’s father, the late Chakufwa Chihana, serving as the inaugural officeholder, a development that adds a layer of historical irony to the current appointment.