Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been officially declared president-elect of Malawi after winning 56.8 percent of the vote in one of the country’s most closely watched and highest-turnout elections in recent history.
The announcement by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Wednesday night marks Mutharika’s return to the presidency, defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja delivered the results in Lilongwe, confirming Mutharika’s victory with 3,035,249 votes out of 5,347,757 valid ballots cast.
Chakwera followed with 1,765,170 votes (33 percent), while Dalitso Kabambe of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) party secured four percent.
Other candidates, including Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and former president Joyce Banda, received less than two percent each.
“I hereby declare Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika as the President-elect of Malawi, and Justice Dr Jane Mayemu Ansah SC, JA (Retired) as Vice-President-elect,” Mtalimanja declared.
With 7.2 million registered voters, the 2025 general election saw a turnout of 76.4 percent – one of the highest in Malawi’s electoral history.
MEC reported that 65.1 percent of voters used biometric verification while manual registers were employed in some polling centres.
Mutharika’s victory marks his second ascent to the presidency, having previously served from 2014 to 2020.
The MEC confirmed receipt of formal complaints from the MCP, UDF and UTM, all of which were reviewed and responded to.
Under constitutional provisions, the president-elect and vice president-elect will be sworn in no sooner than seven days and no later than 30 days from the declaration.
Mtalimanja urged all Malawians to accept the results with grace and unity.
“What binds us together as Malawians is stronger than what separates us into political parties,” she said. “Let us work together to give our future generations a better, stronger and prosperous Malawi.”
JN/APA