Malawi: one year after the invalidated presidential election, voters return to the polls

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Malawi resumes this Tuesday, June 23 the way to the polls for a repeat of the presidential election, only a few months after the cancellation of the results by the justice due to fraud. The two main candidates - the outgoing president Peter Mutharika and his rival Lazarus Chakwera - will therefore clash again.

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In May 2019, President Peter Mutharika was re-elected for a second term, just 159,000 votes ahead of his main rival Lazarus Chakwera. The ballot is marked by many irregularities such as the massive use of white corrector and erasures on the ballots.

The opposition takes legal action which, after months of tension, demonstrations and violence cancels the re-election of President Mutharika due to fraud and orders a new poll within five months. President Mutharika then denounced a judicial coup but had to comply with the court decision.

The two opponents will therefore again face each other at the polls on Tuesday, something never seen before in the country. 

For Mustapha Hussein, political analyst at the University of Malawi, this new ballot is a sign of the independence of the judiciary and a sign of good omen for democracy, not only in Malawi but also across the continent:

"  This is unprecedented because no one expected a court to overturn the results of a presidential election. Everyone said that once the president was sworn in, you couldn't go back. Against all odds, it happened. I only know of one other example, Kenya, where the 2017 election was invalidated and the country had to hold a new poll. It is unprecedented in our country and it shows the independence of the judiciary. The fact that there have been two cases is also important because it sets a precedent on the continent and indicates an advance in democracy. I am sure that countries will now have to pay more attention to the way in which their elections are held, because justice can be seized if an election is not conducted correctly. I really think that what is happening in Malawi will inspire other countries.  "

► Read also: Malawi: justice confirms the cancellation of the re-election of president Mutharika

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