Former president Peter Mutharika has returned to power in Malawi after winning this month’s presidential election, defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, whose five-year tenure was marked by deepening economic hardship.
The Malawi Electoral Commission announced on Wednesday that Mutharika, 85, secured more than 56% of the valid votes, well above the threshold to win in the first round. Chakwera, 70, trailed with 33%. Voter turnout was high at about 76%.
Earlier in the day, Chakwera conceded defeat and pledged a peaceful handover. “You have been elected by the people of Malawi to lead them into a brighter future,” electoral commission chair Annabel Mtalimanja told Mutharika while declaring him the winner.
The September 16 vote marked the fourth electoral showdown between the two rivals, with Mutharika now victorious in three of them. His 2019 victory was annulled by the constitutional court over irregularities, prompting a historic rerun that Chakwera won the following year.
Security was tight in the capital Lilongwe during the announcement, with banks closed and armed police patrolling in anticipation of unrest.
Analysts said the result reflected widespread disillusionment with Chakwera’s handling of the economy.
“This election result is less about Mutharika, but more of a protest vote against Chakwera, especially in regards to his government’s handling of the economy,” said Boniface Dulani, a political scientist at the University of Malawi.
Since Chakwera took office in 2020, Malawi has been hit by economic stagnation, high inflation, foreign exchange shortages, and climate-driven disasters.
Inflation has remained above 20% for more than three years, while nearly three-quarters of the population lives on less than $3 a day. Half of Malawians are undernourished, according to the World Bank.
Bertha Bangara Chikadza, head of the Economics Association of Malawi, said stabilising the economy would be Mutharika’s most urgent task. “Doing this will automatically have a direct positive impact on social issues such as unemployment and poverty reduction,” she noted.
Mutharika, a former law professor, was credited during his 2014–2020 presidency with reducing inflation and expanding infrastructure, but he faced criticism over cronyism, which he has denied.
His Democratic Progressive Party has promised to “get the country back on track” after years of crisis.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
