Malawi Electoral Commission releases partial presidential results

Lilongwe – The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) provided an update on the ongoing tallying of the 16 September 2025 general elections, reporting partial presidential results from selected councils on Friday evening. The announcement came from MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja at 10:00 pm.

By 6:00 pm, 219 of 229 constituencies had transmitted their results electronically, with 217 processed at district tally centres. Nine councils, including Phalombe, Ntchisi, Karonga, Chitipa, Mwanza, Thyolo, Zomba, Luchenza, and Likoma, had delivered results to the National Tally Centre. MEC reported that 99.61 percent of results had been electronically transmitted.

The update included a call for calm and orderly participation, urging citizens to remain peaceful while awaiting final results. The Commission also reported a road traffic accident involving a truck transporting election materials along the Nsanje-Chikwawa M1 road; a police officer sustained minor injuries, but no ballots were involved.

MEC replaced the Returning Officer for Nkhoma Constituency in Lilongwe after an attempted suicide and deployed a replacement to finalise tallying in the area. The Commission reminded political parties and candidates to lodge complaints formally at tally centres or via the Chief Elections Officer’s office, warning that social media or informal submissions would not be accepted.

Partial results from four councils showed voter turnout ranging from 73 to 83 percent:

• Likoma District: 6,794 valid votes; MCP’s Dr. Lazarus Chakwera received 1,817 votes, DPP’s Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika 4,177 votes, and UTM’s Dr. Dalitso Kabambe 485 votes.
• Kasungu Municipality: 18,241 valid votes; Dr. Chakwera 8,818, Prof. Mutharika 7,831, Dr. Kabambe 1,019.
• Luchenza Municipality: 8,328 valid votes; Dr. Chakwera 336, Prof. Mutharika 7,547, Dr. Kabambe 232.
• Mwanza District: 36,801 valid votes; Dr. Chakwera 2,228, Prof. Mutharika 30,576, Dr. Kabambe 2,203.

The Commission is reviewing all void votes and complaints before finalising results, which are expected within the eight-day period stipulated by law.