In early February, Malawi’s constitutional court overturned the results of the country’s 2019 presidential election, stating that there had been widespread irregularities. The official tally of the May 2019 poll had placed incumbent Peter Mutharika in the winning position with 38% of the result, but both the main opposition candidates cried foul. The constitutional court’s investigation uncovered systematic tampering, including the use of white correction fluid on voting tallies.
There was considerable pressure for the court to simply rubber-stamp the result. The fact that it did not is a significant step for a country that long been regarded as one of the more peaceful corners of Africa. The court has now ordered that a fresh election must take place within 150 days, although the decision may yet be appealed in the supreme court.
