Malawi president concedes election defeat, rival’s supporters celebrate

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

LILONGWE (Reuters) -Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera conceded defeat on Wednesday in this month’s election and pledged to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to his main rival Peter Mutharika, who has built a commanding lead based on results so far.

Malawi’s electoral commission had been due to release the final result around 1200 GMT, but delayed its announcement until Wednesday evening.

“It is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution,” Chakwera said in an address to the nation.

Mutharika’s supporters celebrated at the election results centre and on the streets of the capital Lilongwe when they heard Chakwera had conceded.

FOURTH SHOWDOWN BETWEEN MUTHARIKA AND CHAKWERA

Security was tight in Lilongwe, with armed police officers patrolling the streets and banks closed in case of violence.

This month’s election was the fourth showdown between Mutharika, 85, and Chakwera, 70.

Mutharika won in the 2014 and 2019 elections, though his 2019 victory was annulled by the constitutional court because of widespread irregularities including the use of correction fluid on results sheets.

Chakwera won the re-run of that election in 2020.

ECONOMIC STAGNATION TOP ELECTION ISSUE

Political analysts had predicted Mutharika would mount a strong challenge to Chakwera’s re-election bid, as the economy has worsened since the last election.

“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 politics expert at the University of Malawi.

Malawi has faced economic stagnation since former pastor Chakwera was elected in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A devastating cyclone and a regional drought, both linked to climate change, have wiped out crops and worsened hardship. Inflation has been above 20% for more than three years.

Nearly three-quarters of Malawians live below the World Bank’s poverty line of $3 a day. Around half of the population does not get the minimum number of calories needed for adequate nutrition, according to the bank’s estimates.

Bertha Bangara Chikadza, president of the Economics Association of Malawi, said one of Mutharika’s most urgent tasks would be to stabilise the economy by addressing foreign exchange shortages and persistently high inflation.

“Doing this will automatically have a direct positive impact on social issues such as unemployment and poverty reduction,” she told Reuters.

Former law professor Mutharika was credited with lowering inflation during his 2014 to 2020 presidency and improving public infrastructure such as roads. But he faced allegations of cronyism, which he has denied.

(Reporting by Frank Phiri; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Alex Richardson)