Malawi broadcaster projects ex-leader Mutharika has won election

LILONGWE – Malawi’s former president Peter Mutharika is projected to have won last week’s presidential election with more than 56 percent of the vote, private broadcaster Times Television reported yesterday on its final unofficial results dashboard.
Official results released by the country’s electoral commission late on Monday showed Mutharika had built a commanding lead over incumbent Lazarus Chakwera.
A candidate needs to secure more than 50 percent of valid votes for an outright win, otherwise there will be a second round of voting.
Political analysts had predicted that Mutharika, 85, who was in power between 2014 and 2020, would mount a strong challenge to Chakwera’s re-election bid, as the economy has worsened since the last election.The September 16 election was the fourth showdown between Mutharika and Chakwera, 70.
The rivalry between Mutharika and Chakwera was thrust into the spotlight when Malawi’s constitutional court annulled Mutharika’s 2019 election victory due to irregularities including the use of correction fluid on results sheets.
A re-run in 2020 saw Chakwera emerge victorious.
Ex-pastor Chakwera pledged to crack down on corruption when he took office, yet critics have accused his administration of handling corruption cases selectively and slowly.
Former law professor Mutharika was credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation during his 2014 to 2020 presidency but faced allegations of cronyism, which he has denied.
The electoral commission has until the end of today to announce the full presidential election result. In Uganda, the Electoral Commission yesterday cleared octogenarian President Yoweri Museveni to seek reelection in polls due to be held early next year, which could extend his rule to nearly half a century.
A former rebel, Museveni has been credited with stabilising Uganda, promoting economic growth, and combating HIV/AIDS. But critics denounce his government’s suppression of political opponents, human rights abuses and corruption scandals.
After seizing power in 1986, Museveni said the problem facing Africa was not its people but “leaders who want to overstay in power.”
Now Africa’s fourth longest-ruling leader, Museveni and his government have amended the constitution twice to remove age and term limits, allowing him to remain in office.
The 2026 election is expected to once again pit the 81-year-old incumbent against his chief rival Bobi Wine, 43, a singer who has leveraged his pop stardom to galvanise a large support base among young voters.
Museveni defeated Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, in 2021 by a wide margin, though Wine said his victory was stolen through ballot stuffing, intimidation by security forces and other irregularities.
Museveni’s was the first candidacy to be cleared by the elections body, which is charged with evaluating whether those seeking office meet legal requirements. It is expected to assess Wine’s candidacy today. – REUTERS.