The pinnacle of Malawi’s electoral fee has warned political events to not prematurely declare electoral victory, saying they need to look forward to the official outcomes.
Annabel Mtalimanja’s warning got here after the events of the 2 foremost presidential candidates, the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika, claimed that they had gained Tuesday’s ballot.
Talking at a press convention on Thursday, Ms Mtalimanja stated that solely the fee was mandated to launch outcomes.
Malawians have been eagerly awaiting outcomes, however the fee has not but launched any – although almost all votes have been counted.
The fee is predicted to announce the result solely in any case votes have been tallied and verified so as to keep away from the opportunity of the ultimate end result being challenged.
A candidate must win greater than 50% of the vote, or a run-off is held.
The 2019 election was marred by controversy when the best court docket annulled then-President Mutharika’s victory, citing widespread irregularities.
Chakwera, 70, gained the re-run by a large margin, propelling him to the presidency.
Mutharika, 85, is hoping to regain workplace in what can be a dramatic political comeback.
Malawians additionally voted in parliamentary and native elections following a marketing campaign dominated by the worsening financial disaster that has seen a extreme scarcity of gas and overseas forex.
The official inflation charge is near 30%, with a frozen rooster in a grocery store within the capital, Lilongwe, costing about $20 (£15), in a nation the place most individuals reside on $2 a day or much less.
