Former President Peter Mutharika has taken an early lead in Malawi’s presidential election, according to provisional results from a quarter of the country’s councils.
With 51% of the valid votes counted so far, the 85-year-old is positioned for a potential outright win against incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, who garnered 39%. The election is a rematch between the two rivals, whose last contest in 2019 was annulled by courts due to irregularities, leading to Chakwera’s victory in a 2020 re-run.
The vote occurs amid significant economic hardship that has defined Chakwera’s term. High inflation exceeding 20% for over three years, economic stagnation, and climate-induced disasters including a devastating cyclone and drought have crippled the country. Mutharika’s campaign has leveraged his previous presidency (2014-2020), where he was credited with improving infrastructure and controlling inflation. The electoral commission is carefully verifying all results and has warned against premature declarations of victory, with full provisional results expected by September 24th.