Malawi's Political Parties Warned Against Too Soon Announcing Election Victory
The chairperson of Malawi's electoral commission has warned political parties against prematurely announce electoral victory, stating that all must await the official results.
Annabel Mtalimanja's advisory came after the supporters of the leading presidential candidates, current leader President Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, claimed they had secured victory in the recent election.
Addressing attendees during a press conference on the following day, Ms Mtalimanja clarified that solely the authorized body was empowered to announce final tallies.
Malawians have been eagerly awaiting outcomes, but the commission has so far not published official figures—despite the vast majority of votes have been tallied.
The commission is scheduled to announce the final result only after all votes have been counted and verified so as to prevent the risk of the official outcome being contested.
A candidate needs to win more than 50% of the vote, otherwise a run-off is conducted.
The 2019 election was overshadowed by dispute when the supreme court invalidated then-President Mutharika's win, citing pervasive anomalies.
The current president, 70, triumphed in the repeat election by a significant lead, propelling him to the presidency.
His rival, 85, is hoping to regain office in what would be a dramatic political comeback.
Malawians also voted in legislative and regional elections following a campaign dominated by the worsening economic crisis that has resulted in a severe shortage of fuel and hard currency.
The official inflation rate is close to 30%, with a frozen chicken in a grocery store in the capital, Lilongwe, priced at about $20 (ÂŁ15), in a country where people live on an average of $2 a day.
Only the official body is empowered to declare election results, underscored the chairperson during the briefing.
