Former Malawian President Peter Mutharika has secured a resounding return to power, winning the September 16 presidential election with 56.8% of the vote, according to official results announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday.
Mutharika, 85, contested on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket and garnered nearly 3.04 million votes in a crowded 17-candidate race. His closest challenger, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), received 1.77 million votes, translating to 33%.
The announcement was made by MEC Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja at a press briefing in Lilongwe, confirming that Mutharika surpassed the 50% + 1 threshold needed for an outright win. He will be sworn in as Malawi’s seventh president, with former MEC Chairperson Jane Ansah as his vice president.
Chakwera, 70, conceded defeat hours before the official declaration, acknowledging Mutharika’s “insurmountable lead” in a televised address.
“A moment ago, I called Professor Mutharika directly to congratulate him on his historic victory and to wish him well in his upcoming tenure,” Chakwera said, urging Malawians to unite behind the president-elect.
Mutharika previously served as Malawi’s head of state between 2014 and 2020, before losing to Chakwera in the landmark court-sanctioned election rerun. His return signals a dramatic political reversal and a fresh chapter for the DPP.
Analysts have described the outcome as a “protest vote” against Chakwera’s government.
“Mostly, the vote that the DPP has gotten is a protest vote: People voted for the DPP because the MCP failed to deliver on its promises,” noted political analyst Wonderful Mkhuche.
The final results were initially expected at midday Wednesday but were delayed until evening after a failed legal attempt by Chakwera to block their release. The High Court dismissed his injunction, paving the way for MEC to declare the outcome.
