By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The electoral commission of Malawi has cautioned political parties and their candidates against prematurely celebrating victory before the final tally, saying they should wait for the body to release final results.
The southern African country had on Tuesday held a keenly contested presidential, parliamentary and local elections largely considered to be free and fair.
Head of the electoral body, Annabel Mtalimanja’s warning came after the parties of the two main presidential candidates, the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, claimed they had won.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Ms Mtalimanja said that only the commission was mandated to release results.
Malawians have been eagerly awaiting results, but the commission has not yet released any – despite the fact that nearly all votes have been counted.
The commission is expected to announce the outcome only after all votes have been tallied and verified in order to avoid the possibility of the final result being challenged.
A candidate must secure more than 50% of the vote, or a run-off is held.
The 2019 election was marred by controversy when the highest court annulled then-President Mutharika’s victory, citing widespread irregularities.
Chakwera, 70, won the re-run by a wide margin, propelling him to the presidency.
Mutharika, 85, is hoping to regain office in what would be a dramatic political comeback.
