Malawi’s former president Arthur Peter Mutharika has made a dramatic return to State House after winning last week’s presidential election with 56.8 percent of the vote, according to official results announced by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday.
Incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who garnered 33 percent of the vote, conceded defeat and congratulated his 85-year-old predecessor in a televised address to the nation.
“It is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution,” Chakwera said, calling Mutharika’s lead “insurmountable.”
He assured Malawians of a peaceful and orderly transfer of power in the coming days.
The high-stakes poll was seen as one of Malawi’s most fiercely contested elections in decades, effectively becoming a referendum on Chakwera’s turbulent five-year tenure. His administration had been plagued by skyrocketing living costs, severe fuel shortages, corruption allegations, and slow economic recovery.
Mutharika, who previously served as president from 2014 until 2020, campaigned on promises to restore economic stability, lower food prices, tackle unemployment, and revive investor confidence.
His victory marks a remarkable political comeback following the annulment of his disputed 2019 re-election, which paved the way for Chakwera’s 2020 win.
International observers, including the African Union and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), described the election as “generally free, fair, and credible,” though they urged Malawi’s new leadership to address deepening poverty and youth unemployment.
Mutharika is expected to be sworn in within the week. Political analysts say his immediate priorities will include stabilizing the currency, securing fuel imports, and re-engaging international lenders to revive Malawi’s struggling economy.
