Former Malawi president Peter Mutharika has taken an early lead in this week’s presidential election, where he is once again facing incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, provisional results showed on Sunday.
With results in from nine of the country’s 36 councils, Mutharika had secured about 51% of valid votes, compared with nearly 39% for Chakwera, according to Reuters calculations based on data released by the Malawi Electoral Commission.
A candidate must win more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory; otherwise, the contest will head to a run-off.
Political analysts had predicted a tight two-horse race between Mutharika, 85, and Chakwera, 70, the leaders of Malawi’s two biggest parliamentary parties.
Chakwera, a former pastor elected in 2020, has presided over a period of economic stagnation, compounded by a devastating cyclone and a regional drought that wiped out crops and deepened hardship. Inflation has remained above 20% for more than three years.
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Mutharika, a former law professor, previously served as president from 2014 to 2020, a tenure marked by infrastructure projects and lower inflation, though critics accused him of cronyism, which he denied.
Chakwera came to power pledging to tackle corruption, but his government has faced criticism for what opponents say is slow and selective handling of graft cases.
The electoral commission has until September 24 to announce full provisional results. It has warned candidates not to declare victory prematurely, stressing that tally sheets are still being verified for accuracy.
Mutharika’s 2019 re-election was annulled by the constitutional court due to irregularities, including altered results sheets. Chakwera went on to win the 2020 re-run.
