Malawi: Initial results put opposition leader Chakwera in the lead

By James Mwala

Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera is poised of a win in Malawi's fresh presidential election, preliminary results show.

Unofficial results have put the leader of the country's oldest party in the lead with relatively about 58% of the votes against the incumbent President Peter Mutharika whose Democratic Progressive Party still trails.

Chakwera is claiming the results having bonded with about eight other parties including the one led by Vice President Saulos Chilima, the UTM and former President Joyce Banda's People's Party.

The parties traded under the banner Tonse Alliance.

Mutharika on the other hand, patterned with the United Democratic Front, a party led by Atupele Muluzi, son to former leader Bakili.

The electoral commision is at the moment still receiving results from districts and has thus far announced results from three out of the twenty eight districts.

The commission legally holds eight days to announce the winner of the results.

Initially, a big twist came about when one of the candidates Peter Kuwani of the Mbakuwaku Movement applied to the commision to disqualify Mutharika and Chakwera for fielding new runningmates.

Kuwani had argued that this was against the court order that stances ahead of the elections remain as it were in the nullified poll.

MEC Chairperson Dr Chifundo Kachale however announced that the commission found that the arguments did not hold any water.

Meanwhile, Malawians are still anticipating the announcement although Tonse Alliance followers have stormed the social media in celebratory posts.