Malawi election result: President Lazarus Chakwera set to fall to Mutharika
With defeat looming, President Lazarus Chakwera risks becoming Malawi's third one-term president in little more than a decade.
The High Court in Lilongwe has thrown out a last-ditch effort by President Lazarus Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to block the release of results from last week's election.
Justice Howard Pemba granted permission for a judicial review of the MCP's complaints about alleged irregularities but rejected the party's request to stop the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) from publishing the outcome.
In a terse handwritten ruling, he noted: "Permission to apply for judicial review is granted. However, an order restraining the respondent [MEC] from declaring/publishing final presidential results is not granted."
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That leaves the electoral body free to confirm what is already clear: Chakwera, a pastor-turned-president, has lost to his predecessor, Arthur Peter Mutharika.
The MEC said it would finalise its tallying and announce the results at 2:00 pm on Wednesday.
The ruling deflates MCP's attempt to delay the inevitable.
"MEC is therefore at liberty to proceed with the announcement of results," said judiciary spokesperson, Ruth Mputeni. The electoral commission insists it was never served with any injunction.
With defeat looming, Chakwera risks becoming Malawi's third one-term president in little more than a decade.
His exit, if confirmed, would mark a dramatic comeback for Mr Mutharika, five years after being ousted in a court-ordered re-run of the 2019 election.
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