Malawi’s electoral commission has cautioned political parties against declaring victory before official results are announced amid mounting tension following Tuesday’s general election.
Annabel Mtalimanja, the chair of the commission, issued the warning on Thursday after both President Lazarus Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party led by former president Peter Mutharika claimed to have secured victory.
Speaking at a press conference in Lilongwe, Mtalimanja stressed that only the commission has the authority to release results. “We urge all parties and candidates to respect the process. Premature claims risk inflaming tensions and undermining confidence in the outcome,” she said.
Nearly all votes have been counted but the commission has delayed the official declaration until every ballot is verified in order to minimise the risk of disputes. A candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright otherwise a run off will be held.
The warning comes against the backdrop of Malawi’s fraught electoral history. The 2019 election which initially handed Mutharika victory was annulled by the country’s top court over widespread irregularities. Chakwera subsequently won the 2020 rerun by a decisive margin.
This year’s campaign has been dominated by deepening economic hardship. Inflation is hovering near 30 percent with shortages of fuel and foreign currency pushing up the cost of basic goods. A frozen chicken in Lilongwe now sells for around 20 dollars, a staggering figure in a country where most survive on less than two dollars a day.
