Ahead of Tuesday's elections in Malawi, observers led by Ghana’s former President John Agyekum Kufour have called for peaceful, free and fair elections. Malawians are voting Tuesday to elect its president and members of parliament in a poll which will see President Bingu Wa Mutharika battle it out with six other presidential candidates. Mutharika who came to power in 2004 seeks a second term and is tipped to win by a recent survey. Ahead of the elections observers led by Ghana’s former President John Agyekum Kufour have called for peaceful, free and fair elections. A report by AfricaNews reporter, Sam Banda Jnr, from Blantyre cites other reports of Kufour bemoaning Malawi’s state media bias over opposition parties. The ex-Ghana leader said it was important that the state broadcasters reported fairly on the elections for the good of the country. “The situation is not healthy because the state media in the country has continuously been biased towards the opposition,” he said. Kufour however said he was sure the elections would go on peacefully. The SADC Parliamentary Forum election observation mission is also reported to have said that the peaceful environment in Malawi will continue to prevail during the elections on Tuesday. Media reports in the country say that president Mutharika's chances of victory have increased significantly after Malawi's Constitutional Court upheld on Saturday a decision to throw out an application by former president Bakili Muluzi to contest in the election. The ex-leader who was the first democratically elected president saw his vision for presidency varnish after the Electoral Commission ruled that he was not eligible to stand having already served two five year terms. However Muluzi dragged the electoral body to court before it was ruled Saturday that he was not eligible to stand. Muluzi and main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader John Tembo had forged an unofficial alliance to take on Mutharika. The two have been campaigning all over the country with Muluzi offering all his support to Tembo. Muluzi has been at loggerheads with president Mutharika since he dumped his United Democratic Front (UDF) in 2005 which ushered him into power. The ex-leader said he wanted to contest because he wants to put money into people’s pockets. Seven candidates, including one woman, are in the race. The candidates battling with Mutharika include James Nyondo, Kamuzu Chibambo, Stanley Masauli, Loveness Gondwe and Tembo. A Reuters report said Malawi is the second fastest growing economy in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. It managed to bring down inflation from 30 percent to single digits in 2008. Two thirds of the country's 13 million people live on less than $1 a day and stalemates between the government and opposition in parliament have held up budgets for months. In a related development, the country’s electoral body on Sunday closed the campaign period ahead of the elections. The campaign period was opened on March 17 and saw parties sell out their manifestos. Source: African News