Friday, March 29, 2024

Malawi opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera wins Presidential Vote Re-Run

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Malawi’s electoral commission has declared opposition alliance leader Lazarus Chakwera the winner of the country’s presidential election rerun.

The announcement late on Saturday came four days after Malawians returned to the polls almost five months after the constitutional court annulled the results of a May 2019 vote over irregularities.

Chakwera, 65, secured the required majority, with 58.57 percent of Tuesday’s vote, the electoral commission said, beating the incumbent Peter Mutharika. Chakwera won election to a five-year term as president of the nation of 18 million people.

“My victory is a win for democracy and justice. My heart is bubbling with joy,” Chakwera said after his win, which sparked wild late-night celebrations on the streets of the capital Lilongwe, his stronghold.

In power since 2014, Mutharika was previously declared the winner of last year’s vote with 38.57 percent, ahead of Chakwera who got 35.41 percent and former Vice President Saulos Chillima, with 20.24 percent.

But Chakwera and now-running mate Chillima rejected the results of that election and petitioned the court to nullify the outcome and order a rerun.

February 3’s overturned result also forced a change in the electoral system, swapping a “first-past-the-post” system for a system in which the winner has to receive more than 50 percent of the vote.

Mutharika, 79, earlier on Saturday said there had been voting irregularities including violence and intimidation against his party’s election monitors, but the complaint was dismissed by the electoral commission. The opposition has denied the allegations.

Mr Mutharika said that while he found the election “unacceptable”, it was his “sincere hope that we should take this country forward instead of backwards”.

There were no independent reports of irregularities, and no international observer missions this time because of COVID-19. Local observers have said the poll was free and fair.

The opposition leader, a former cleric, heads up the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP). Born in Lilongwe to a subsistence farmer, the philosophy and theology graduate has pledged to raise the national minimum wage, among other reforms.

Mr Studied theology in Malawi, South Africa, and the USA. He a Pastor and lecturer, and worked at the Assemblies of God School of Theolog. He also authored several books on religion including Reach the Nations. He ran for president in 2014 and came second.

23 COMMENTS

  1. Benefits of non tribal politics.
    Benefits of a clean past.
    Benefits of a honest leader.
    Benefits of a reasonable leadership.
    Benefits of being a patriot.
    Benefits of not stashing stolen money in offshore accounts.
    Benefits of speaking against violence.
    Benefits of not promoting anarchy and homosexuality.
    Benefits of a sound, uninsulting and alive supporters.
    Benefits of being a God fearing man
    For us it’s PF 100%
    100% POTROZ ECL
    Its all at the ballot not the streets, lessons for bigoted h².
    Just saying.

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    • Lessons from Malawi elections, only allow locals to monitor the coming elections, foreign election monitors are always in a hurry to declare elections free and fair and move to next election in another country, how do those foreign election monitors feel after this election re run? After they declared the first one free and fair, its declarations like that which make ruling party cement their grip to power ,because that creates a sense of legimacy . congratulations Malawi.

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    • Weldon Malawians, you first rejected the voting irregularities from the ruling Government. Secondly you have voted the opposition. We congratulate you people we will do the same in Zambia, we will now vote for opposition Party the way you have done. We have learnt a lesson from you. Viva Malawians. This time its opposition PF more money in the pockets. The pockets are dry.

  2. The writings were on the wall. Just when the army general allowed soldiers to protect opposition protests, the man should have realised that power has sliped in my hands, now typical of African leaders, he had to wait till nails on the coffin. Anyway, conglatulations Dr Lazarous Chakwera for a well deserved victory

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  3. Congrats president Elect Lazarus Chakwera. Anchimwene mwapurika makora.
    Unfortunately for us my dear, we have a weak opposition leader. PF feels good beating and beating and beating the hell out’a him.
    I have been withholding by vote against him since he showed up. His rise to the top of the UPND on tribal grounds shoved of Sakwiba Sikota and that has not gone good for him and he turned it ito into the UPNDEAD.
    Here is the deal, once beatable h² leaves the political scene, we can then change leadership.
    As long as his ugly face keep frequenting the ballot paper, it’s no chance to the dead.

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  4. “…….rejected the results of that election and petitioned the court to nullify the outcome and order a rerun….”

    Lungu will threaten the Malawian courts through SADC…. ………

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  5. A rerun of a rerun = endless loop.
    Then a rerun; another ka rerun until the country runs out of election money.
    So of course Mutharika won the last election. It got nullified, Chakwera has won this one, Mutharika may cry foul, he would need to be heard. It is in us Africans.
    It’s funny how you Africans behave sometimes.
    That’s why ise ni ka 50% +1.
    As for me, a winner is a winner.
    So Mutharika won and now Chakwera has won.
    What difference does it make?
    By the way Malawi has 18.14 million as at 2018. Doesn’t it need a break from reruns??
    So Mutharika your victory, just got snatched. Move on.

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  6. Zambia must learn a lesson from little Malawi. Vigillance by Malawians protesting for Credible Election Result paid off as Concourt and Supreme Court ordered a Re-run for Presidential Candidates.The Military and the Judiciary stood by the People. The Malawi Electoral Commission which was used by the Executive to rig elections was reconstituted for the Election Re-run. For Zambia to have free,fair and credible Elections in 2021 ECZ and Concourt need to be overhauled. Malawi has shown the way. Which way for Zambia in 2021?

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  7. This outcome is something that was made possible by a very competent judiciary which did not buckle under political pressure. Congratulations President elect Rev. Chakwera, but above all the credit should go to the Malawian judiciary for having a backbone strong enough to annul the first election due to rigging and the fired army general who allowed his soldiers to protect protesters. Democracy has prevailed in Malawi. Our men in uniform should learn something from this.

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  8. Time fly’s, very soon it will be 2021. Last week we had United Transformation Movement(UTM) Secretary General Patricia Kaliati has called on the Zambian High Commission in Malawi to ensure that three top Zambian nationals leave the country.
    Kalyati claimed that former Minister of Finance, Dr. Katele Kalumba, former intelligence chief, Xavier Chungu and former State House Special Assistant for Politics, Kaizer Zulu were spotted in Malawi and have been brought to allegedly rig elections in favour of incumbent Peter Mutharika due on Tuesday.
    Malawi goes to the polls on Tuesday in a historic presidential re-run after a court overturned last year’s elections and ordered a fresh vote Citing “grave” and “widespread” rigging, the country’s constitutional court ruled in February that President…

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  9. Congrats aChimwene!!!!! Khoma ukakwera pamsana wanjobvu usamati pansi palibe mame. Ndapita. Work for the betterment of Malawi. Keep that Sobo drink flowing and sweeter for all Malawians and SADC. Bye the Mutharikers. Malabi was not meant to be a dynasty.

  10. Congratulations to the people of Malawi and the new president elect. We hope the new president will work with his predecessor for the benefit of that country. Elections are over now is time for him to prove the message he has been selling. Our government has a solid relationship with Malawi and will continue to do so even after 2021 when we win the elections. We look forward to working with this new government

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  11. Thank you, thank you, thank you Malawi. I hope that other Africans are looking that the will of the people is unstoppable.

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  12. Lessons for Zed politicians from Malawi. 10 political parties joined forces to kick out a useless govt. In Zed, Lungu has no vision & is not taking the country anywhere, unless zambians will be eating over priced tarmack & blocks of cement. Current opposition does not inspire because they are empty heads. HH was told this by that BBC reporter who intervied him. The other pastor now thinks being a pastor is a qualification for president. Kambwili is only in opposition because his fellow thieves kicked him out of sharing govt contracts. So all these thieves & cluelesses in opposition better team up & remove the other thieves in govt.

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  13. Chakwera is more articuate than our devious and elusive h².
    POTROZ ECL 100%.
    Patriots 100%
    Zambia overdrive 100%

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  14. The victory is attributed to good judicial system. Imagine this victory wouldn’t have been there if the courts never nullified the results.

    This what we expect in a democratic state or society.

    PF must go!

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  15. UPND cadres like calling their PF counterparts as dull. This make me wonder who is dull the one who bases victory on the neighboring countries opposition leader as theirs or the one who is on the ground campaigning while the opposition ( one man tribal Tonga party) is in Lusaka just armchair criticizing. Zambia’s voting pattern needs to change dramatically for UPND to win. Last time I checked was Southern Province VS the rest.

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  16. Malawans have done the right thing to admire, however Zambians are confused they don’t know where their blessings are ! as they are looking for the evil one to rule them while they ignore the man of God in their midst . righteousness is the key to development than money in it self don’t choose riches but choose godliness then God bless you and your land.
    Jesus refused the riches Satan wanted to give Him because He knew that satanic riches comes with a lot of ramifications.
    ” The blessings of the Lord adds no sorrows “.

  17. Congrats to the people of Malawi especially the Justice system. We also can’t wait for 2021, those who are not standing up for us now will kiss the dust. We will remember those who forced others to apologize.

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