Page 13 - Issue 9

Leaders & Politics

Lazarus Chakwera

sworn as president of

Malawi, as Mutharika

gives ceremony a

wide berth

Swearing in of Lazarus Chakwera as Malawi’s president

r Chakwera and his running mate vote, defeating Lazarus Chakwera of the intimidation against his party’s election
MSaulos Chilima, running mate, Malawi Congress Party (35%) andSaulo monitors, but the complaint was
were sworn in as president and vice- Chilima of the United Transformation dismissed by the electoral commission.
president repectively, at a ceremony Movement (20%). The opposition has denied the
in the capital, Lilongwe on 28. Mr allegations.
Chakwera, a Pentecostal preacher and The DPP also remained the largest party
former theology lecturer, said his role in the National Assembly, winning 62 of There no international observer missions
because of COVID-19, accordingly,
would be to unite and serve Malawians. the 193 seats. However, the presidential there were no independent reports of
election was challenged in court by
Chakwera becomes the sixth president Chakwera and Chilima, and in February irregularities, while local observers have
of Malawi, with Malawi making history 2020 the Constitutional Court annulled said the poll was free and fair.
as the first African country to have its the presidential election results, citing The country was bitterly divided in
presidential election result overturned evidence of irregularities, and ordered the run-up to the election, with Mr
due to irregularities and an opposition fresh elections be held within 150 days. Chakwera calling on those who did not
leader went on to win the rerun election. support him not to fear
Some 6.8 million voters in the southern In March the Malawi Electoral
African country had returned to the Commission announced a new election Mr Chakwera leads a nine-party
polls. date, 2 July, one day before the 150 coalition, the Tonse Alliance, and had
Other countries in Africa have had day limit to hold elections set by the the backing of former President Joyce
Banda as well Mr Chilima, who served
Constitutional Court. On 21 May the
elections annulled - it happened in Legal Affairs committee of parliament as deputy to Mr Mutharika.
Kenya in 2017- but for the opposition endorsed for fresh presidential elections
candidate to then go on and win a rerun to be held on 23 June rather than 2 July. Chakwera’s election came after months
is unprecedented. of determined street protests against the
results of the election more than a year
Malawi held Presidential elections on Chakwera, 65, secured the required ago, in May 2019, in which Mutharika
majority, with 58.57 percent of the June
23 June 2020, having originally been vote, the electoral commission said, had been declared the winner.
scheduled for 19 May and later 2 July. beating the incumbent Peter Mutharika. The 65-year-old Chakwera was born
They followed the annulment of the Chakwera won election to a five-year to a poor rural family in a tiny village
results of the 2019 presidential elections, term as president of the nation of 18 outside of the capital, Lilongwe. He is a
in which Peter Mutharika of the million people. philosopher, theologian and clergyman
Democratic Progressive had won. by training and studied in Malawi, South
The result of the re-run elections “My victory is a win for democracy Africa and the United States.
delivered victory for Lazarus Chakwera and justice. My heart is bubbling with Chakwera has been active in Malawian
of the Malawi Congress Party, who joy,” Chakwera said after his win, which politics since 2013 as a leader of the
defeated Mutharika by margin of 59% to sparked wild late night celebrations on Malawi Congress Party (MCP) the party
40%. the streets of the capital Lilongwe, his that led Malawi’s fight for emancipation
stronghold.
In the May 2019 general elections, from British rule in the early 1960s. On
incumbent President Peter Mutharika In power since 2014, Mutharika, 79, that party’s platform, he ran for president
of the Democratic Progressive Party earlier on said there had been voting in 2014 and 2019, placing second both
(DPP) was re-elected with 39% of the irregularities including violence and times.

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