Peter Mutharika stages comeback, wins Malawi presidency with 56.8 per cent of vote

Former Malawian president Arthur Peter Mutharika has secured a dramatic return to power, winning last week's polls with 56.8 per cent of the vote, according to official results released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday.

Incumbent Lazarus Chakwera trailed with 33 per cent, in an election dominated by the country's dire economic situation—marked by soaring living costs, chronic fuel shortages, and a stagnant economy.

Earlier, Chakwera conceded defeat to his 85-year-old predecessor.

"It is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution," he said, acknowledging that Mutharika's lead was "insurmountable."

He pledged a peaceful transfer of power in the coming days.

The vote, billed as one of Malawi's tightest contests in recent history, turned into a referendum on Chakwera's turbulent single term.

Since his 2020 election victory, secured in a rerun after the annulment of Mutharika's disputed 2019 win, Malawi has seen little progress on the economic front.

Critics charged the president with indecisiveness and poor management, while voters signaled a preference for the familiar, if ageing, hand of Mutharika.

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• wins Malawi presidency with 56.8 per cent of vote