Mutharika Peter  Finally wins Malawi’s presidential election

Malawi’s former head of state, Peter Mutharika, has emerged victorious in the presidential election with 56.8 percent of the vote, decisively defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, according to an announcement made Wednesday by the country’s electoral commission.

Running on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket, Mutharika secured close to 3.04 million ballots in the September 16 contest, which featured 17 candidates. His closest challenger, Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), obtained about 1.77 million votes, Electoral Commission Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja confirmed during a press briefing in the capital, Lilongwe.

At 85 years old, Mutharika surpassed the required majority by winning 56.8 percent of the valid votes, comfortably crossing the 50-percent-plus-one threshold. Chakwera, aged 70, trailed with 33 percent of the vote, the MEC reported.

Mutharika, who previously held the presidency from 2014 to 2020, is set to return to power alongside his running mate, former MEC Chairperson Jane Ansah, who will serve as vice president.

The commission’s official results were declared only a few hours after Chakwera conceded defeat in a televised speech.

“It has become clear that my principal opponent, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party, had secured an unassailable lead and is therefore the presumptive winner of this election,” Chakwera said.

“For that reason, I personally phoned Professor Mutharika to congratulate him on his historic win and to extend my best wishes as he assumes office as Malawi’s seventh president,” he added.

Chakwera also expressed gratitude to his supporters and urged the nation to rally behind Mutharika in pursuit of progress and prosperity.

Some commentators have interpreted the September 16 vote as largely a protest against the ruling party.

“Largely, the support the DPP received represents a protest vote. Many citizens backed the party because they felt the MCP had failed to fulfill its commitments,” political analyst Wonderful Mkhuche remarked during a local television discussion.

Although the MEC had planned to announce the final results around midday Wednesday, the declaration was delayed until later that evening. The delay followed an unsuccessful legal attempt by Chakwera, who had petitioned the High Court to halt the release. The court dismissed the case, clearing the way for the commission to officially confirm the outcome.