Early provisional results from a quarter of Malawi’s councils show former president Peter Mutharika has an initial lead over the current president, Lazarus Chakwera.
Based on the election commission’s figures, Mutharika has secured roughly 51% of the votes, while Chakwera has about 39%.
This election marks the fourth time the two political rivals have competed against each other. Mutharika, 85, is credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation during his previous term, but he has also faced accusations of cronyism, which he denies.
Chakwera, on the other hand, won his 2020 victory on a platform to fight corruption but has since been criticised for being slow to act on these cases.The election commission is still verifying all the results and has warned candidates against declaring victory prematurely.
A full provisional result is expected by the end of September 24. The election comes after the constitutional court annulled Mutharika’s 2019 victory due to voting irregularities.