All indications point to a possible run-off election as none of the two leading candidates, President Lazarus Chakwera and his main challenger former President Peter Mutharika, appears to be on course to hit the decisive 50%+1 threshold, according to reports.
Millions of registered voters in Malawi went to the polls on Tueusday to elect the country’s new president and members of parliament in an election dominated by economic concerns. The capital, Blantyre, had been a scene of political rallies and campaign visits in the lead up to Tuesday’s general elections.
Dozens of observers from regional and international organizations arrived in Malawi ahead of the polls, seen as a test of the country’s democracy and a rematch between President Chakwera and Mutharika. It’s the first election since the president assumed office in 2020 after the 2019 poll results were nullified due to irregularities.
His main rival, the former president who was defeated in 2020, has been crisscrossing the country holding large rallies. The 84-year-old politician has accused President Chakwera of presiding over a country in “economic collapse”.
In 2020, the 50%+1 vote requirement was enacted, eliminating the chances of minority victories in future elections.
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