Malawi goes to the polls today to redo a 2019 election which the country’s constitutional court found invalid due to rigging.
In May 2019, incumbent Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party won 38.6% of the vote, edging out Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party, who won 35.4%. Saulos Chilima of the United Transformation Movement won 20%. No other candidate won more than five percent of the vote. However, in February the Constitutional Court said that the results were null and void and the election would have to be held again, because of what it called ‘grave’ and ‘widespread’ rigging.
In 2017 election results in Kenya were also set aside because of irregularities.
Today’s election is effectively a two-horse race between Mutharika and Chakwera, with only one other candidate on the ballot. Chilima, who was previously Mutharika’s Number Two, is this time Chakwera’s running mate.
Polls have Chakwera as the favourite to emerge victorious.