LILONGWE, Malawi – Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has conceded defeat in last week’s general election, acknowledging that his rival, former president Peter Mutharika, had secured an “insurmountable lead.”
In a nationally televised address on Wednesday, Chakwera, 70, said he had already called Mutharika to congratulate him ahead of the official results expected later in the day from the Malawi Electoral Commission.
“A few minutes ago, I called Professor Mutharika to wish him well,” Chakwera told the nation. “It is clear that my rival has an insurmountable lead over me.”
Chakwera, a former pastor, came to power in 2020 after defeating Mutharika in a landmark election re-run ordered by Malawi’s top court.
His victory was hailed as a triumph for democracy in Africa after judges nullified the disputed 2019 vote.
But this year’s election turned into a referendum on Chakwera’s leadership, as Malawians grappled with one of the worst economic crises in decades.
Inflation soared to 33 percent, while the cost of maize—the country’s staple food—and fertilizer skyrocketed, leaving many households struggling.
Critics accused Chakwera of indecisiveness, mismanagement, and failing to curb corruption or create jobs, despite promises made at the start of his presidency.
“In the days that remain, I want you to know that I am committed to a peaceful transfer of power,” Chakwera said. “I know that many of you who supported my campaign for reelection will be disappointed.”
Mutharika, 85, a constitutional law expert and leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, is set to return to office five years after being voted out.
His comeback signals a dramatic political reversal in the southern African nation of 21 million people.
The election outcome is likely to shape the country’s economic and political trajectory, as Malawians look to the new administration for urgent solutions to rising living costs, high unemployment, and corruption scandals that plagued the outgoing government.
