LILONGWE – Malawi’s former President Peter Mutharika has taken a commanding lead in the country’s presidential election, according to provisional results from the electoral commission. With two-thirds of districts reporting, the 85-year-old has secured approximately 66% of the valid votes counted so far.
The incumbent President, Lazarus Chakwera, 70, is trailing significantly with about 24% of the vote. The results indicate a strong showing for Mutharika, even in areas traditionally considered Chakwera strongholds, such as the capital, Lilongwe.
For a candidate to win outright and avoid a run-off, they must secure more than 50% of the vote. The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has until the end of Wednesday to announce the final result from last Tuesday’s poll.
Chakwera’s camp has not conceded, expressing confidence that results from remaining districts—including rural areas around Lilongwe and Dedza—will narrow the gap and potentially force a second round of voting. However, the commission has withheld results from at least two districts where Mutharika is expected to perform well, citing the need for accuracy checks.
The MEC has emphasised its commitment to a transparent and credible process. This scrutiny follows the historic annulment of the 2019 election by a constitutional court, which cited widespread irregularities. Mutharika had initially been declared the winner of that poll, but Chakwera won the subsequent re-run in 2020.
Chakwera’s presidency has been marked by a deepening economic crisis, characterised by high inflation, chronic food and fuel shortages, and persistent power cuts.
The election process has faced allegations of irregularities. On Friday, Chakwera’s party stated it had discovered “serious anomalies” and requested a physical audit of the results. In a separate development, police announced the arrest of eight data entry clerks on accusations of attempting to manipulate the tally.
The nation now awaits the final declaration from the electoral commission.
