Chakwera concedes defeat to Mutharika in Malawi elections

Malawi’s President, Lazarus Chakwera, has accepted that he lost last week’s election.

President Chakwera was speaking in a national address in Lilongwe at State House on Wednesday, according to the BBC.

He has been trailing ex-President Peter Mutharika in the votes counted so far who got about 66 percent of the votes compared to Chakwera’s 24 percent.

Malawians had anxiously been awaiting the final result as the election was held eight days ago

The election commission said it had taken its time to ensure the results were accurate following Chakwera’s party’s complaint of “serious anomalies” during the counting process.

Chakwera said he had phoned Mutharika to congratulate him on his “historic win”.

He confirmed that he approached the courts yesterday to try and stop the results from being announced but said he accepts the court’s ruling that the electoral commission must go ahead and announce the results.

Chakwera also said: “Malawians, whether you are on the losing or winning side, please remain peaceful.”

In his speech, Chakwera recognised the provisional votes, which showed his rival Mutharika had taken a strong lead.

“I know that for the majority of you who voted, this outcome is a reflection of your collective will to have a change of government and so it is only right for you to concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens,” he told Malawians.

Chakwera and Mutharika squared off against each other at the polls for the fourth time – though the third time ended up not counting.

Mutharika first defeated Chakwera in 2014, but when he was declared winner over Chakwera in the next election in 2019, the result was annulled. Chakwera won the re-run the following year.

Now, he has conceded victory to Mutharika ahead of the final result being declared.

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