Will Malawi’s Rerun Presidential Election Make History?

Will Malawi’s Rerun Presidential Election Make History?
A woman casts her vote in Blantyre, Malawi, June 23, 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 opposition alliance is claiming victory for its candidate, Lazarus Chakwera, in the country’s unprecedented rerun of last year’s presidential election. The electoral commission has released only a partial selection of official results, but state television reported Thursday that Chakwera is leading incumbent President Peter Mutharika nationwide with nearly 60 percent of the vote.

If Chakwera’s win is confirmed, it would be historic, marking the first time in sub-Saharan Africa that an opposition party has democratically taken power after an election was overturned. It may have to withstand a challenge, though, as ruling party officials accuse the opposition of violently blocking their supporters from voting in some locations.

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