By RFIPalled on 12-10-2019Modified on 12-10-2019 at 23:24

The opposition still disputes the victory of President Peter Mutharika, reelected last May with 38.57% of the vote, with only 160,000 votes more than the main opponent, Lazarus Chakwera. Justice must decide soon, on a motion for annulment, filed by the opponents.

As the protests unfold after the announcement of the results of the presidential election last May, ambassadors from six countries in Malawi, including that of the United States, issued a joint statement. In this text, they condemn all forms of violence, and call on the government to investigate all criminal acts.

This statement is published after a week marked by violence. A policeman died Tuesday, October 8th. According to the police, the officer was stoned to death in Msundwe, west of the capital, during clashes between supporters of the president, who wanted to go to a rally, and opponents, who were trying to to prevent it.

Since the announcement of the victory of Peter Mutharika , demonstrations regularly end in clashes with the police. Opponents demand the resignation of the President of the Electoral Commission, accused of covering fraud. Rising tensions

Dan Banik, a professor at Oslo University and Malawi specialist, is worried about rising tensions. " Since the election, there has been an increase in violence, and it's something new," he says. There are numerous reports of violence, arbitrary arrests of militants and attacks on individuals. And besides, it does not come only from the forces of the order. For example, the policeman who died was lynched by the crowd .

In all, about forty people were arrested, as part of the clashes at the beginning of the week. Four were charged with murder. On Tuesday, the President of Malawi called for calm and unity.

Why this challenge?

" There was only 160,000 votes apart, between the president and the candidate who came in second. The country is divided into three main regions. The most populous of them is in the South, that's where the current president comes from, and that's where he got the most votes. In the Central region, the leader of the opposition came first. And in the North, it's another candidate. So three different candidates came first, in every region of the country. And it's because the South is more populated than the president got 160,000 more votes , "Banik said.

" Many irregularities have been reported in the compilation of results. Therefore, the biggest opposition parties feel that the result of the election is skewed. And finally, the president of the Electoral Commission was accused of having declared the results a little too fast, instead of taking the time to examine all the elements, to be able to announce the results correctly ", adds Dan Banik.

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