Mutharika won with 1.9 million votes representing 38.57%, according to the Malawi Electoral Commission, narrowly ahead of Malawi Congress Party ‘s Lazarus Chakwera who came second just like in the last election back in 2014. Chakwera got 1.8 million votes representing 35.41%.

 

Saluos Chilima, former deputy to Mutharika’s in his first term who left the government after accusing Mutharika’s adminstration of being corrupt. He formed his own party the United Transformstion Movement (UTM) in a bid to run against his former boss and he came third with just over 1 million votes representing 20.24%.

 

Nearly 7 million people registered to vote in an election which was described as the most unpredictable election the country has ever witnessed. About 5 million people turned up for polling. A total of 74,719 votes were declared null and void.

 

On May 25, the Malawi Congress Party got a court injunction halting the electoral commission in releasing the presidential results arguing that the results were seriously marred. The party wanted a recount in 10 districts were electoral irregularities occurred.

 

However the Malawi high court lifted the injunction which gave the electoral commission powers to release the presidential results. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Commission has thoroughly reviewed all the complaints that were lodged for the presidential election and we declare the presidential elections to be free and fair and these results are the true reflection of the will of the people of Malawi,” said Jane Ansah the chairperson of the commission at a briefing in Blantyre.