This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
On June 27, 2020, Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera won the country's rerun presidential vote, officials announced late on Saturday.
Chakwera defeated incumbent Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote in the poll, which was held on Tuesday.
Malawi's constitutional court had annulled Mutharika's victory in the May 2019 election, citing vote tampering.
Chakwera's victory is a significant moment in Malawi's political history, marking the second time an African nation has annulled a presidential election over irregularities, following Kenya in 2017.
Speaking ahead of the official result, Chakwera said his victory was 'a win for democracy and justice,' adding, 'My heart is bubbling with joy.'
His supporters took to the streets of the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, sounding car horns and letting off fireworks.
Chakwera is expected to be sworn in on Sunday.
Why was there a new vote? ¶
A rerun of the 2019 election was ordered after the Constitutional Court found the original ballot had been marred by widespread irregularities.
That election saw President Mutharika narrowly re-elected by fewer than 159,000 votes.
Chakwera, who came second in that election, argued that tallying forms had been added up incorrectly and tampered with.
