By Edwin Mauluka
Former President Bakili Muluzi has urged incumbent Lazarus Chakwera to accept the outcome of the presidential election, saying defeat is not the end of the road in political life.
Media outlets quoted Muluzi as advising Chakwera to prioritize national unity and peace, amid indications that opposition candidate Peter Mutharika is heading for a decisive victory.
“I’ve never lost a presidential election, but I can tell you one thing: there’s life after the State House,” said Muluzi.
With results from 24 of the country’s 36 councils officially announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds a commanding 72% lead. Muluzi said the outcome from the remaining 12 councils is unlikely to overturn that margin.
Muluzi, who became Malawi’s first democratically elected president in 1994 following the end of 30 years of single-party rule under Hastings Kamuzu Banda, served two terms before unsuccessfully attempting to amend the constitution for a third. He said that experience taught him the importance of respecting the democratic process.
“Elections come and go. What remains constant is the nation itself,” Muluzi said. “Let us protect the peace we have enjoyed for the past three decades of multiparty democracy.”
His message resonates with some voters.
“Who would have thought Mutharika would be where he is today after everything that was said during the campaign?” said Rachel Phiri, a voter. “Chakwera will be just fine, unless he’s lost faith which would be ironic since he himself is an ordained minister.”
Meanwhile, another presidential contender, Akwame Bandawe, has formally conceded and congratulated Mutharika.
“After carefully reviewing results from our tally centre and thoroughly cross-checking with our partners, we would like to express our heartfelt congratulations to the President-Elect of the Republic of Malawi, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP),” Bandawe said in a statement. “We believe this triumph is a true reflection of the people’s will.”
Mutharika previously lost to Chakwera in the 2020 court-ordered rerun election. His apparent comeback underscores a dramatic political reversal that now awaits official confirmation.
