By Edwin Mauluka

President-elect Peter Mutharika will be sworn in as Malawi’s next leader on October 4, 2025, atKamuzu Stadium, after defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in the September 16 elections.

At the same time, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has nullified parliamentary elections in Lilongwe City Mtandire–Mtsiriza Constituency and withheld results in two others, citing serious irregularities in the handling of votes.

MEC Chairperson Justice Annanel Mtalimanja announced the decision on Monday night while releasing official results for the September 16 parliamentary polls.

“The staff at the council did not have the authority to open tamper-evident envelopes and examine the void votes. This was serious misconduct, creating irregularities that left the Commission unable to determine the results with certainty,” Mtalimanja explained.

She said a fresh election will be held, with the date to be announced later.

Unofficial tallies had shown MCP candidate George Zulu trailing DPP candidate Alfred Gangata by just five votes (12,284 to 12,289). Zulu requested a recount after raising concerns over inconsistencies in voided ballots: 445 void votes were recorded at the constituency level compared to 345 at the District Tally Centre.

Under the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, Section 96(1) and(2), MEC is required to examine voided ballots to confirm or overturn presiding officers’decisions.

Mtalimanja added that results for Mzimba South East and Nkhata Bay Central remain withheld pending examination of void votes, noting that results will not be released where the number of void votes exceeds the margin between leading candidates.

Unandi Banda, Executive Director of the National Elections Systems Trust (NEST), commended MEC’s decision to nullify the Mtandire results and withhold others, saying it reflects “a high level of transparency and meticulous electoral management.”

In other parliamentary contests, Lilongwe Chilobwe, MCP’s Lawrence Chaziya’s was declared winner unopposed after running uncontested. In Blantyre West, elections were postponed following the death of MCP candidate Michael Izeck Chisala. In Nkhotakota Liwaladzi and Dedza Mtakakata, elections were suspended by court orders after disputes over rejected nominations linked to incomplete fee payments.

MEC noted that by-elections will be scheduled for these constituencies in due course. The Commission partially released parliamentary results Monday, days after declaring the presidential results on September 24, 2025. The Commission has until September 30 (14 days after polling) to make a final declaration of parliamentary outcomes. Mutharika, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), will officially take office when sworn in on Saturday, October 4, 2025.