Lilongwe, Malawi — Outgoing President Lazarus Chakwera conceded defeat on Wednesday morning to his longtime rival, former President Peter Mutharika, ending weeks of tense vote-counting and growing public frustration over the economy. The announcement came just hours before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) was due to release official results, averting potential unrest in the southern African nation.
Chakwera, 70, a former evangelical pastor who rose to power in a 2020 court-ordered rerun after the annulled 2019 vote, delivered his concession in a televised address shortly before noon.
“Fellow Malawians, it has become clear that my rival, Professor Peter Mutharika, holds an insurmountable lead,” he said, his tone steady but somber. “A few minutes ago, I called him to congratulate him on this resounding victory. It is only right that I concede defeat—out of respect for your will as citizens, and out of respect for our sacred constitution.”
Partial tallies from the MEC showed Mutharika, 85, a Yale-trained law professor and leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), commanding more than 65% of the vote from two-thirds of Malawi’s 36 districts. Unofficial media projections placed his tally closer to 57%, with Chakwera trailing at around 24%. The MEC was expected to confirm a first-round victory for Mutharika at its midday briefing, surpassing the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff.
The September 16 election drew a strong turnout of about 78% among the country’s 7.2 million registered voters, fueled largely by economic discontent. Inflation has remained above 27% for years, compounded by disasters such as Cyclone Freddy in 2023 and persistent foreign exchange shortages that crippled fuel and fertilizer imports.
“We voted for change because promises turned to dust,” said Aisha Banda, a 28-year-old trader in Blantyre, echoing the frustrations voiced in the south, where the DPP secured sweeping early leads.
Mutharika, who previously served from 2014 to 2020, campaigned on his record of infrastructure expansion and relative price stability, while brushing off corruption allegations from his earlier tenure. His choice of running mate, Jane Ansah—the controversial former electoral commission chief blamed for the 2019 irregularities—sparked protests but helped consolidate his support in the southern strongholds.
Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP), meanwhile, was weakened by the collapse of the Tonse Alliance in 2024, leaving him exposed even in traditional bastions such as Lilongwe and Nkhotakota, where Mutharika performed unexpectedly well.
Tensions had mounted in the days before the concession. The MCP filed legal petitions claiming flaws in the MEC’s new electronic vote-transmission system, but the High Court dismissed them on Monday. DPP supporters warned against attempts to derail the count, while the MEC, under chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja, urged patience as it verified tally sheets to avoid a repeat of past controversies. Observers from the African Union and European Union described the process as “largely peaceful,” though they noted delays that stoked public unease.
Chakwera’s decision to step aside gracefully drew wide praise. “This is democracy at its finest—accepting the people’s verdict without bitterness,” said Gift Trapence, head of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition.
Outside his home in Thyolo, Mutharika hailed the concession as “a moment of national healing” and promised to prioritize economic recovery. Supporters erupted in celebration across DPP strongholds, with jubilant processions filling the streets of Lilongwe, though security forces remained on alert.
The peaceful transfer of power stands in sharp contrast to the violence of 2019, when post-election protests claimed dozens of lives. As Mutharika prepares to be inaugurated in May 2026, analysts say his return could restore investor confidence but warn of steep challenges ahead: repairing strained relations with international donors, tackling corruption, and creating jobs in a country where 60% of the population is under 25.
