Malawi:Mutharika loses Presidency to opposition leader Chakwera .

By James Mwala

Opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera has been declared winner in Malawi’s fresh presidential election, defeating fierce rival Peter Mutharika.

Chakwera led Malawi’s oldest political party, Malawi Congress Party and claimed at 58% threshold and won out of the three horse race in Tuesday’s election.

The election followed the nullification of 2019’s poll in which Mutharika was declared winner.

Chakwera himself and Mutharika’s Vice Saulos Chilima took the irregularities that marred the poll to court and the order was that the poll be held in the next 150 days from February 3.

In making the announcement, Malawi Electoral Commision Chairperson Dr Chifundo Kachale said Chakwera had beaten the required majority to the position.

But hours before the announcement, Mutharika said the country had held its worst ever poll citing the attacks on  monitors of his party as having an impact on the results.

Mutharika held a briefing along with Atupele Muluzi, whom he patterned with in the election.

Meanwhile, Chakwera and Chilima have taken oaths of office in Lilongwe and as of yet, Mutharika has not formally extended an olive branch to the two.

Here are the results:

Total registered voters – 6,859,570

64.81 % people voted

Null and void – 57,553

Total votes cast – 4,445,659

Total Valid votes – 4,388,376

Lazarus Chakwera – 2,604,043

Peter Mutharika – 1,751,877

Peter Kuwani – 32,456