By Edwin Mauluka
Former Malawi President Peter Mutharika is maintaining a commanding lead over incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in partial results released Monday night by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
From 11 councils announced that evening — covering Machinga, Nkhotakota, Lilongwe City, Dowa, Chikwawa, Nsanje, Zomba, Blantyre City, Mzimba, Balaka, and Thyolo — Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secured 1,520,982 votes, while Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) trailed with 522,438.
Overall, results from 24 of 36 councils put Mutharika firmly in front with 2,022,819 votes against Chakwera’s 772,506, giving the DPP candidate 72% of the announced tally.
MEC confirmed it now has custody of all voting records following the delivery of paper records from Mangochi District to the national tally centre. However, results from Ntcheu and Mangochi Municipality remain pending due to what MEC Ntabilimanja described as “minor discrepancies” and complaints under review.
Ntabilimanja assured Malawians that the Commission is committed to meeting the constitutional eight-day deadline for declaring a presidential winner, stressing that election administration is a complex process involving result collection, verification, and resolution of complaints.
“No tactic, whether street celebrations or demonstrations, will pressure the Commission to declare results before due process is complete,” Ntabilimanja said.
Both DPP and MCP supporters have held premature celebrations as results continue to be tallied. MEC has appealed to political leaders to exercise restraint and guide their supporters toward peace, patience, and respect for the rule of law.
Ntabilimanja further urged Malawians to avoid spreading unverified information: “Fake news not only confuses the public but also undermines trust in the electoral process and threatens national peace. While the Commission cannot stop people from sharing unofficial results, this does not mean fabricated or misleading figures should circulate.”
She appealed for calm, patience, and vigilance against disinformation as the country awaits official results.
