Former President Mutharika wins Malawi election to oust longtime rival Chakwera

BLANTYRE Malawi AP Former President Peter Mutharika was declared the winner of Malawi s electoral contest Wednesday ousting incumbent Lazarus Chakwera to return as leader of one of Africa s poorest countries Chakwera conceded defeat in a speech on national television hours before the final results were revealed and supporters of Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party had already gathered in the streets of the commercial capital Blantyre to celebrate The -year-old Mutharika who was president from - won of the vote according to the Malawi Electoral Commission Chakwera was second with The winning candidate needed to receive more than of the vote to avoid a runoff This outcome is a reflection of your collective will to have a change of authorities and so it is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution Chakwera explained in his earlier address to Malawians conceding defeat Mutharika s return to the presidency came after he lost to Chakwera in a historic vote rerun five years ago As president he was initially declared the winner of a vote but that polling was nullified months later by a court and ordered to be redone because of irregularities Chakwera won the redo in and Mutharika became the first leader in Africa to be removed from office in an polling rerun Chakwera s ballot was also greeted at the time by street celebrations But the -year-old former evangelical preacher lost popularity in his first term largely due to an ongoing economic situation in a country of million in southern Africa already struggling as one of the least developed in the world The financial sector was seen as the main issue for voters who had grown weary of the soaring cost-of-living and fuel and food shortages Inflation has shot up to over while a devastating cyclone in and a drought last year worsened hardship More than of the population in Malawi live rurally and rely on agriculture Mutharika a law professor had campaigned on promises of fixing the economic activity and restoring what his party framed as his experienced leadership though his first term was marked by claims of corruption and constituents discontent over food shortages and electricity outages He has a long history in Malawian politics having served in the Cabinet when his older brother was president Mutharika s brother Bingu wa Mutharika was president from until his death in office in A total of candidates ran in last Tuesday s balloting including another former president Joyce Banda But analysts consistently saw it as a race between Chakwera and his predecessor Mutharika who have met in elections in and this year Chakwera reported that he had spoken with Mutharika to congratulate him He added that his Malawi Congress Party would accept the outcome of the vote despite complaints in latest days from several parties including MCP of irregularities in certain voting districts The head of the Malawi Electoral Commission that oversaw the poll announced that it had resolved all those complaints and didn t description any major problems Malawians also voted for the makeup of Parliament and more than local regime representatives Malawi gained international attention last year when a military plane crash killed -year-old Vice President Saulos Chilima who was popular with young Malawians and seen as a leader in waiting A former British protectorate that won independence in the country was ruled for years by the autocratic Hastings Banda until It has developed a peaceful multiparty democracy over the last two decades AP Africa news https apnews com hub africa Source