Former Malawian President Bakili Muluzi has urged incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera to concede defeat and congratulate Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika, who is poised to win the country’s recent general elections. Muluzi’s appeal comes as the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is set to finalize the tallying and verification of votes, with Mutharika holding a significant lead.
According to Muluzi, he had a phone conversation with Chakwera on Sunday, during which he encouraged the president to publicly accept the outcome of the elections to maintain peace and stability in the country. Muluzi, who served as Malawi’s first democratically elected president from 1994 to 2004, emphasized the importance of a peaceful transfer of power, citing his own experience in handing over power to the late Bingu wa Mutharika in 2004.
With 24 out of 28 district results officially announced, Mutharika has secured over two million votes, compared to Chakwera’s 700,000-plus votes. The MEC has until Tuesday to release the official presidential results, and Muluzi’s intervention is seen as an attempt to reduce political tension and promote a peaceful transition.
Muluzi has also appealed to Malawians to remain calm and reject violence as the country awaits the MEC’s final declaration. His statement carries significant weight, given his experience as a former president and his occasional role as a mediator during times of crisis. The call for calm comes at a delicate moment, with both the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the opposition DPP trading claims of victory based on parallel tallies.
The MEC has faced pressure from civil society and international observers to release the results transparently, with warnings that any delays or suspicions could trigger unrest. As the country awaits the official results, Muluzi’s words of caution and his appeal for a peaceful transition are likely to set the tone for how Malawians respond to the final announcement. The outcome of the elections will have significant implications for the country’s future, and Muluzi’s intervention is seen as a crucial step towards ensuring a peaceful and stable transition of power.
