President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi
By agency report
President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has lost his reelection bid for a second term in office.
Chakwera has conceded defeat to his 85-year-old opponent and predecessor, Peter Mutharika.
On Wednesday, while the Electoral Commission was due to release the results of the vote at a briefing, official results released so far show Mutharika has gained a strong lead over Chakwera.
Chakwera then conceded defeat, saying in an address to the nation that it was clear his rival Peter Mutharika had an “insurmountable lead”.
“A few minutes ago, I called Professor Mutharika to wish him well.
“It is clear that my rival Peter Mutharika has an insurmountable lead over me.
“In the days that remain, I want you to know that I am committed to a peaceful transfer of power.
“I know that many of you who supported my campaign for reelection will be disappointed,” the 70-year-old Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate said.
Last week, citizens took to the polls to vote on the country’s next leader, in a vote that analysts predicted would be one of the most tightly contested elections in the country’s history.
Mutharika and Chakwera were the candidates of the two biggest parties in Malawi’s parliament.
The former pastor took power in 2020 when he defeated the then-president Mutharika, a constitutional law expert from the Democratic Progressive Party.
Chakwera had promised to crack down on corruption when he was elected, but critics have accused his government of dealing with cases slowly and selectively.
The dire state of the economy dominated the election in the small southern African country, with critics accusing Chakwera of mismanagement and indecisiveness and also failing to tackle corruption and deliver on promises to create jobs.
During his term, costs soared in the agriculture-dependent and rural nation, with inflation reaching 33 per cent and the price of staple food maize and of fertiliser jumping, a key talking point at the poll.
In comparison, former law professor Mutharika, 85, was credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation during his presidency from 2014 to 2020. However, critics accused him of cronyism, which he denied.
In 2019, Mutharika’s 2019 election victory was annulled by the constitutional court due to irregularities, including the use of correction fluid on results sheets.
In the re-run the following year, Chakwera secured his victory.
