Barely a week after Malawi Electoral Commission officially opening the campaign period for the forthcoming tripartite election, on Saturday it was the turn of the ruling People’s Party,(PP) to launch its campaign at Civo Stadium in Lilongwe.

President Joyce Banda in her speech highlighted most of her achievement in the last two years.

For instance, she said it is two years since fuel shortages ended in Malawi; two years since the media became freer; two years since rural lives started to transform; and two years since Admarc markets were fully stocked with maize.

President Banda also said in the past two years the People’s Party government has worked together with Malawians from all walks of life to fight poverty and has also reduced unemployment and inequality.

In its agenda for the May 20 polls, Dr Banda said PP will address challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality and put integrated rural transformation as its central focus of for the next five years.

She further said people in rural areas need to have clean water and descent homes.

 “Our party’s priority remains rural development, agriculture and food security, education, health and women empowerment.

 “PP will continue with the Mudzi Transformation Trust. After all it is my calling to end poverty”, she said.

Dr Banda’s running mate Sosten Gwengwe spoke for only a few minutes and the president’s speech was largely in English, saying she was speaking to the whole world.

United Democratic Front (UDF) was the first one to launch its campaign.