Malawi’s electoral Commission chair, Annabel Mtalimanja, has issued a stern warning to political parties against declaring victory prematurely in the recent presidential election.
The caution came on Thursday, September 18, after the camps of both main candidates—incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor, Peter Mutharika—claimed they had won Tuesday’s poll.
Mtalimanja emphasized that only the electoral commission is legally authorized to announce results and urged all parties to wait for the official, verified outcome. Despite nearly all votes being counted, the commission has not yet released any figures, as it is following a meticulous process of tallying and verification to prevent any potential legal challenges to the final result.
The election takes place against a backdrop of high stakes and economic hardship. The 2019 presidential vote was famously annulled by the courts due to irregularities, leading to Chakwera’s victory in the subsequent re-run. Now, Mutharika is attempting a dramatic political comeback. The campaign was dominated by Malawi’s severe economic crisis, which includes a crippling shortage of fuel and foreign currency, alongside an inflation rate nearing 30%. This has created immense pressure on citizens, most of whom live on less than $2 a day, making the election’s outcome critical for the nation’s future.