Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera was declared the winner of a re-run presidential election.
Chakwera, 65, secured the required majority, with 58.57% of the vote on Tuesday, the electoral commission said, beating Mutharika. Chakwera won election to a five-year term as president of the nation of 18 million people.
In power since 2014, Mutharika must now either challenge the result in court or step aside. The vote was regarded by analysts as a test of the ability of African courts to tackle ballot fraud and restrain presidential power. "The commission declares that Lazarus Chakwera ... has attained the requisite majority of electorate and is duly elected as president," the electoral commission chairman Chifundo Kachale said.Mutharika, 79, earlier on Saturday said there had been voting irregularities including violence and intimidation against his party's election monitors, but the complaint was dismissed by the electoral commission. The opposition has denied the allegations.
Both decisions were celebrated by pro-democracy activists on a continent where judges rarely challenge executive power.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Facing defeat, President Peter Mutharika claims irregularities in Malawi pollPresident Peter Mutharika, facing likely defeat when the result of Malawi's presidential election is announced, said there had been voting irregularities including violence and intimidation against his party's election monitors.
Read more »
Malawi president says election re-run marred by 'irregularities'Voters in the southern African country went to the polls on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court scrapped the initial May 2019 presidential poll due to mass fraud.
Read more »
Malawi ruling party cries foul over presidential vote re-runMalawi's governing party has called for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in this week's re-run vote as unofficial tallies show incumbent President Peter Mutharika losing to the opposition leader.
Read more »
Malawi ruling party cries foul after presidential vote re-runMalawi's governing party is pushing for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in a vote re-run where unofficial tallies show the opposition leader beating incumbent President Peter Mutharika.
Read more »
Malawi ruling party cries foul after presidential vote re-runMalawi's governing party is pushing for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in a vote re-run where unofficial tallies show the opposition leader beating incumbent President Peter Mutharika.
Read more »
Malawi ruling party cries foul over presidential vote re-runMalawi's governing party has called for a third presidential election, citing irregularities and intimidation in this week's re-run vote as unofficial tallies show incumbent President Peter Mutharika losing to the opposition leader.
Read more »