Vote counting is underway in Malawi following Tuesday’s watershed presidential election rerun as the country’s electoral body called for calm and warned against the release of unofficial results.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday released results as counting was completed at the various polling stations. There were a total of 5,202 polling stations dotted across the southern African country.
Malawians voted on Tuesday to elect a new president after a court had in February annulled the outcome of previous polls held in May 2019 that had been won by President Peter Mutharika.
The court ordered fresh polls after the opposition successfully proved that the credibility of the previous elections was marred by serious irregularities.
Tuesday’s poll was a contest between Mutharika and main opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera who was one of the people who had challenged in court the outcome of the previous elections.
MEC chairperson Chifundo Kachale appealed for “peace and calm” as vote counting continued.
“We appeal to Malawians to maintain peace and calm as the vote-counting continues,” Kachale told journalists in Blantyre.
The final outcome of the elections is expected within eight days and the winner needs to win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a second round.
JN/APA