Malawi counts votes after presidential election amid economic crisis

Seventeen candidates are successful the fray, but incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and and his predecessor Peter Mutharika are the apical contenders.

Counting is nether mode successful Malawi aft a statesmanlike predetermination that comes arsenic the southeast African federation faces its worst economical situation successful decades, with soaring inflation, nutrient shortages and the mounting impacts of clime change.

Seventeen candidates are moving for president, but the contention is wide viewed arsenic a contention betwixt incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, 70, and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, 85.

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The rivals person met doubly astatine the ballot box: archetypal successful 2014, erstwhile Mutharika won, and again successful 2020, erstwhile Chakwera triumphed successful a rerun with 59 percent aft the archetypal ballot was annulled for irregularities.

Long lines formed extracurricular polling stations connected Tuesday morning, earlier the turnout fell sharply aboriginal successful the day. By mid-afternoon, the electoral committee reported lone 51 percent turnout, compared with 64 percent successful 2020.

Both Chakwera, an evangelical pastor, and Mutharika, a erstwhile instrumentality professor, look allegations of cronyism and corruption.

However, analysts accidental nary of the different candidates, including erstwhile President Joyce Banda, the lone pistillate successful the race, has been capable to interruption the dominance of the 2 frontrunners.

Chakwera is seeking a 2nd word connected the committedness to hole the system and reconstruct assurance successful government. Mutharika has campaigned connected his grounds of infrastructure investment, though his clip successful bureau was besides marked by corruption scandals.

It comes arsenic Malawi’s 21.6 cardinal radical are grappling with ostentation supra 27 percent, overseas currency shortages, and chronic substance disruptions. The system is heavy babelike connected agriculture, particularly tobacco, but has been battered by the clime crisis.

In 2023, Cyclone Freddy killed much than 1,200 radical successful Malawi and devastated farmland, portion recurring droughts person worsened nutrient insecurity. The World Bank says 70 percent of Malawians unrecorded connected little than $2.15 a day.

Alongside the statesmanlike vote, Malawians besides elected members of parliament and section councillors crossed 35 section governments.

If nary campaigner wins much than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off volition beryllium held wrong 60 days. Provisional results from Tuesday’s archetypal circular are expected by Thursday.