Malawi opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera sworn in as new president

Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera on Sunday took his oath of office as the country's new president after winning a re-run of general elections with 58.57 percent of the vote.

"I... do solemnly swear that I will well and truly perform the functions of the high office of the president of the Republic of Malawi and that I will preserve and defend the constitution," Chakwera proclaimed as he was sworn in at a ceremony in the capital Lilongwe

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 28, 2020

‘I... do solemnly swear that I will well and truly perform the functions of the high office of the president of the Republic of Malawi and that I will preserve and defend the constitution,’ Chakwera proclaimed as he was sworn in at a ceremony in the capital Lilongwe.

Some 6.8 million voters in the southern African country returned to the polls on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court overturned a May 2019 presidential election, citing widespread irregularities.

The landmark ruling made Malawi just the second African country south of the Sahara to have presidential poll results set aside, after Kenya in 2017.

Chakwera was pronounced the winner late on Saturday night.

Outgoing president Peter Mutharika came second with 1,751,377 votes, while underdog candidate Peter Dominico Kuwani received 32,456.

In power since 2014, Mutharika had won 38.5 percent of the discredited vote in which Chakwera garnered a close 35.4 percent.

Malawi's top court found the first election had been marred by widespread irregularities, including the use of correction fluid to tamper with result sheets.

‘Fellow Malawians, to stand before you is an honour. It's an honour that fills me with unspeakable joy,’ Chakwera said in an inaugural address.

‘It is an honour forged in the furnace of your desire and your demand for change.’

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Malawi announces first Covid-19 cases

President Peter Mutharika

Malawi on Thursday announced its first three coronavirus infections, one of the last African countries to report the potentially deadly disease.

The southern African country was one of the few without any confirmed cases along with the Comoros, Lesotho, Sao Tome and Principe and South Sudan.

President Peter Mutharika said the infections were in the capital Lilongwe.

The first was detected in an elderly woman who had recently travelled to India to visit her relatives.

"Upon arrival in Malawi, she placed herself in self-quarantine for 14 days but later became symptomatic within the quarantine period," said Mutharika in an address to the nation.

Two of her contacts also tested positive.

Mutharika said the government would provide medical care for the three patients and track down their immediate contacts.

To date coronavirus has infected more than 6,720 people across Africa and killed at least 273.

Nigeria recorded at least 184 confirmed cases with 2 deaths, while in South Africa, only five deaths from the virus have been confirmed and about 1,400 have tested positive for Covid-19.

Malawi president files appeal against ruling nullifying his re-election: court papers

Blantyre, Malawi, Feb 7, 2020 (AFP), Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Friday filed an appeal against a top court decision that overturned his 2019 election victory, documents showed.

Malawi made history on Monday when the top court ruled in favour of an opposition bid to cancel last May's presidential election results over allegations of rigging.

In his appeal papers, Mutharika said the judges had "erred in law" in concluding that his re-election was "undue" and he asked the Supreme Court to reverse the judgment which also ordered new elections.

After six months of marathon hearings broadcast on public radio, the judges had declared Mutharika was "not duly elected" over what it called widespread irregularities, including "massive" use of correction fluid on ballot papers.

It was only the second time that a presidential election has been cancelled by a court in sub-saharan Africa, after Kenya in 2017.

But Mutharika, 79, said the judges' findings were "grossly biased" against him and a "miscarriage of justice".

Lazarus Chakwera, the leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who came a close second to Mutharika, complained that he was robbed of victory.

Mutharika was declared the winner of the May 21 election with 38.5 percent of the vote, with Chakwera losing by just 159,000 votes.

The allegations of vote-rigging sparked protests across the normally peaceful southern African country last year shortly after results were announced. Several of the demonstrations turned violent.

It is the first time a presidential election has been challenged on legal grounds in Malawi since independence from Britain in 1964

Malawi's constitutional court cancels presidential vote result, orders new presidential election within 150 days

Malawi opposition hails court ruling annulling election as "fair judgement"

In Africa, Malawi’s constitutional court on Monday ordered a new presidential election after annulling the results of a vote that re-elected President Peter Mutharika in May, citing widespread polling irregularities, including the use of correction fluid on ballot papers.

Country's main opposition party on Monday welcomed the constitutional court’s decision to annul last year’s presidential election results over irregularities and vote rigging.

“It has been a very fair judgement in the light of the evidence we provided to the court,” said Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesman Eisenhower Mkaka after the ruling.

“This proves what we have been alleging all along that the elections were rigged,” he told AFP, adding that the case had “set a precedent” for future elections.

The verdict, which is expected to stoke turmoil in the traditionally peaceful southern African country, can be appealed by Mutharika, who will remain president until the fresh polls.

“We hold that the first respondent (Mutharika) was not duly elected as president of Malawi on May 21, 2019,” ruled lead judge Healey Potani. “We hereby nullify the results of the presidential elections and we order for a fresh election,” he said.

A new election should be organised within 150 days, the court said.

In the meantime the status in the presidency, including the office of the vice president, revert to what it was prior to last year’s presidential election.

Sporadic protests have broken out across the country since Mutharika was declared the winner of the May vote by a narrow margin with 38.5 percent of the vote.

Runner-up Lazarus Chakwera, who lost by just 159,000 votes, alleges he was robbed of victory and went to court.

– ‘Unjustifiable’ –

The case gripped the nation and kept Malawians glued to radio stations for hours on end, listening to live broadcast of witnesses presenting evidence of the alleged vote rigging during a six-month-long hearing.

On Monday security was tightened with a heavy military presence around the court and businesses pulled down their shutters for the week, fearing violence erupting after the ruling was announced.

Judges were driven to court in a military armoured vehicle.

An army helicopter occasionally hovered above the courthouse and the central business district as the 500-page verdict was read out.

“It is clear that the use of Tippex (correction fluid) was employed by (electoral commission) officers to hide votes,” said judge Ivy Kamanga, taking a turn reading the judgement that took more than nine hours to deliver.

“Use of Tippex was unjustifiable and an irregularity,” she said, adding the way in which the electoral commission “dealt with the alterations was not in line with the law, hence it was irregular”.

The court also said that only a quarter of the results sheets were verified and it “finds this to be a serious malpractice that undermined the elections”.

– ‘Pivotal moment’ –

It is the first time a presidential election has been challenged on legal grounds in Malawi since independence from Britain in 1964.

The outcome echoes a historic decision by Kenya’s judiciary to annul presidential election results over claims of widespread irregularities in 2017.

“Credible, free and fair elections form a solid foundation for democracy,” Potani said in a preamble to the judgement.

Protesters took to the streets over several months last year demanding the resignation of the electoral commission chief, and many demonstrations turned violent.

Anger flared last month after Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda claimed bribes had been offered to the five judges presiding over the case.

Malawi’s anti-graft body vowed to probe the allegations and arrested top banker Thom Mpinganjira last week.

The opposition has urged supporters to maintain peace and accept the court’s decision.

Mutharika, 79, has repeatedly dismissed opposition accusations that election was rigged and brushed off doubts about the official results.

In a joint statement, British, American and several European ambassadors referred Thursday to the verdict as a “pivotal moment” in Malawi’s history.

(Vanguard and AFP)

Africa: Malawi braces for ruling on alleged election fraud

Blantyre (Malawi) (AFP) - Malawi's constitutional court is set to rule next week on whether to annul controversial poll results that saw the re-election of President Peter Mutharika, a verdict widely expected to stoke turmoil.

The case has gripped the southern African nation and kept Malawians glued to radio stations for hours on end listening to live broadcasts of witnesses presenting evidence of alleged vote rigging.

Sporadic protests have broken out across the country since Mutharika was declared the winner by a narrow margin in May presidential elections with 38.5 percent of the vote.

Runner-up Lazarus Chakwera, who lost by just 159,000 votes, alleges he was robbed of victory.

His Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the opposition United Transformation Movement (UTM) have petitioned the courts to annul the poll.

A panel of judges is scheduled to deliver the verdict on Monday morning.

It is the first time presidential elections have been legally challenged in Malawi since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964.

Protesters have been demanding the resignation of the electoral commission chief, and several demonstrations have turned violent.

"There will be winners and losers and we are not sure how the losers will react," said Malawian politics professor Michael Jana.

A number of schools and companies have closed for the week, fearing violence could erupt after the ruling is announced.

- 'Expecting change' -

Anticipation was high in the financial capital Blantyre, Malawi's second-largest city.

"I'm expecting change," said Chatonda Jembe, who works as an administrator.

"Not necessarily change in leadership (but) change in attitude."

"The leadership on both sides of the political divide know they can no longer take people for granted."

Anger flared last month after Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda claimed bribes had been offered to the five judges presiding over the case.

Malawi's anti-graft body vowed to probe the allegations and arrested top banker Thom Mpinganjira last week. Read More