Malawi Electoral Commission

The 85-year-old’s victory last month was a referendum on the cost of living in a country where inflation hovers near 30%, fuel and foreign currency are scarce and poverty is…

His return as president highlights the country’s deep political divides, rooted in regional loyalties

However, a high court judge said the president and his Malawi Congress Party can proceed with a judicial review of alleged irregularities

Victory very unlikely for the incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera

The country’s high-stakes vote has been plagued by allegations of cheating, rivalry and arrests, leading to a demand for transparency

As it counts ballots from its general election, new tech and legions of observers collide with old problems: public mistrust and the ghost of a nullified vote

Despite there being 17 candidates, the poll was dominated by incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and former president Peter Mutharika

This is the first presidential race since the Constitutional Court annulled the 2019 results

COMMENT: Opposition candidates and party can increase their chances of success at the polls by putting aside minor differences and presenting a united front

Lazarus Chakwera’s ascent to the presidency was made possible by the nine-party Tonse Alliance, which included Mutharika’s former deputy, Saulus Chilima, as his running mate

The opposition presidential candidate won the vote by 20 percentage points, after last year’s poll was overturned because of irregularities

Reiterating an already historical court ruling, the president’s election has once again been rebuffed

The electoral commission’s decision to appoint expensive foreign advocates has been widely criticised

Widespread and increasingly violent protests have left the government in limbo