Malawi Prepares for a Rerun After Its Flawed Election Was Annulled

Malawi Prepares for a Rerun After Its Flawed Election Was Annulled
Opposition party supporters celebrate after Malawi’s Constitutional Court unanimously annulled the results of last May’s disputed presidential election, Lilongwe, Malawi, Feb. 3, 2020 (AP photo by Thoko Chikondi).

Editor’s Note: Every Friday, Andrew Green curates the top news and analysis from and about the African continent.

Malawi’s Constitutional Court, citing irregularities that included visibly altered return sheets, took the unprecedented step this week of unanimously annulling the results of last May’s disputed presidential election and calling for a rerun within 150 days. President Peter Mutharika, who was narrowly declared the winner of that election, has vowed to appeal the court’s decision.

Mutharika, who first took office in 2014, received 38.6 percent of the vote last year, followed by opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera at 35.4 percent. Saulos Chilima, who served as vice president under Mutharika before splitting to form his own party, came in third with 20.2 percent.

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