Lilongwe, Malawi – Malawi’s Electoral Commission has told political parties to wait for official results before declaring victory in Tuesday’s presidential elections.
Electoral Commission chair Annabel Mtalimanja addressed the media on Thursday after the parties of incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera and former President Peter Mutharika prematurely claimed they had won. She said only the commission is authorized to release the official outcome.
Almost all votes have been counted, but the commission has yet to announce the results. Officials said they will only declare the outcome once all votes are tallied and verified, aiming to prevent disputes.
Candidates must secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright; otherwise, a run-off will be held.
The 2019 election was annulled by Malawi’s highest court due to irregularities, ending Mutharika’s presidency and giving Chakwera a decisive win in the re-run. Mutharika, 85, is attempting a political comeback against Chakwera, 70.
Voters also participated in parliamentary and local elections amid a deepening economic crisis. Malawi faces severe fuel and foreign currency shortages, and official inflation nears 30%. Basic goods are increasingly unaffordable; a frozen chicken in Lilongwe now costs about $20 in a country where most citizens live on $2 a day or less.
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