BLANTYRE, May 23 (Reuters) - Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has so far taken 40.44% of votes cast in the May 21 presidential election, with 75% of the vote counted, the Electoral Commission said on Thursday.

Lazarus Chakwera, who heads the opposition Malawi Congress Party, has 35.34%, while Deputy President Saulos Chilima has secured 18.35%, the commission told a news conference.

Malawi also held parliamentary elections on Tuesday. (Reporting by Mabvuto Banda and Frank Phiri; Writing by Emma Rumney Editing by Gareth Jones) </s> BLANTYRE: Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has so far taken 40.44% of votes cast in the May 21 presidential election, with 75% of the vote counted, the Electoral Commission said on Thursday.

Lazarus Chakwera, who heads the opposition Malawi Congress Party, has 35.34%, while Deputy President Saulos Chilima has secured 18.35%, the commission told a news conference. </s> Malawi's president in the lead for re-election

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has taken a lead in the election with more than 75 percent of votes counted from the Tuesday poll.

Mutharika has 1.4 million votes while opposition Malawi Congress Party leader Lazarus Chakwera is second with 1.2 million votes and Vice President Saulos Chilima has 651,000 votes.

More than 3.6 million out the total 6.8 million total registered voters have been counted. This is the second day of vote tabulation which shows results from 3,792 centers out of the 5,002.

"This means we have received 75.81 percent of the total polling centers," said Malawi Electoral Commission Chairwoman Jane Ansah. She clarified that this is not a percentage of the total registered voters but total number of polling centers.

Ansah said two polling staff members have been arrested in the lakeshore town of Mangochi for attempting to manipulate elections results.

Malawi has uses 'first past the post' system where whoever amasses more votes than the other becomes a winner. Mutharika won with 36 percent of the vote in 2014 elections. </s> BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) - Malawi's President Peter Mutharika has taken a lead in the election with more than 75 percent of votes counted from the Tuesday poll.

Mutharika has 1.4 million votes while opposition Malawi Congress Party leader Lazarus Chakwera is second with 1.2 million votes and Vice President Saulos Chilima has 651,000 votes.

More than 3.6 million out the total 6.8 million total registered voters have been counted. This is the second day of vote tabulation which shows results from 3,792 centers out of the 5,002.

"This means we have received 75.81 percent of the total polling centers," said Malawi Electoral Commission Chairwoman Jane Ansah. She clarified that this is not a percentage of the total registered voters but total number of polling centers.

Ansah said two polling staff members have been arrested in the lakeshore town of Mangochi for attempting to manipulate elections results.

Malawi has uses 'first past the post' system where whoever amasses more votes than the other becomes a winner. Mutharika won with 36 percent of the vote in 2014 elections.

In this Tuesday, May 21, 2019, photo, boxes of ballot papers are held under armed guard before vote counting gets underway in Blantyre, Malawi. The country went to the polls to elect a new president in which 78-year-old President Peter Mutharika is seeking re-election to a second term. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi) </s> Malawi’s electoral commission (MEC) chief, Dr. Jane Ansah has called upon stakeholders including political parties to refrain from announcing premature results, pledging that the commission will start official declaration of results as soon as 20% of votes cast have been tallied.

Citizens went to the polls on Tuesday, casting their votes to elect a president, members of parliament and local government councillors.

President Peter Mutharika is seeking a second term, and is being challenged by his deputy, Saulos Chilima, and the leader of the country’s biggest opposition party, Lazarus Chakwera.

In this article, we provide updates from the time polls opened on Tuesday morning, to the time official results will be announced, which Ansah said will be within 8 days.
• Main candidates profiles, and where they cast their votes
• Why this is a high-stakes election

Malawi’s electoral commission (MEC) has told the media that the presidential election is too close to call, and for that reason, results cannot be updated until 147 complaints received by the commission have been resolved.

‘‘The commission will not update the results because the announcing is linked to the complaints received,’‘ Dr. Jane Ansah, MEC chief said.

The last results update given on Thursday showed president Mutharika leading with 40% of the votes cast, while Lazarus Chakwera of the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was second with 35%.

Earlier, supporters of the opposition MCP gathered outside the national tally center, celebrating what they believe will be a victory declared by the electoral commission, according to local media.

Local media also reported a heavy deployment of security agencies at the tally center, ahead of the declaration of presidential results.

PRELIMINARY STATEMENT:African Union Election Observation Mission to the 2019 Tripartite Elections in the Republic of Malawi

The Malawi Electoral Commission, MEC, as at midday Thursday said it had so far received 75.81% of all results from polling stations.

So far: Incumbent president Peter Mutharika (DPP) had 1,436,877 (40.49%). Lazarus Chakwera (MCP) polled 1,257,853 (35.44%) with vice-president Saulos Chilima (UTM) having 651,124 (19.35%).

Collation restarted 10:00 local time after it was suspended on Wednesday evening. At the time the main opposition candidate Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party, MCP, was in the lead with 30% of vote count.

Malawi’s opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera on Wednesday warned against attempts to rig the country’s election, claiming he was clearly leading in results so far tallied.

Early official results showed President Peter Mutharika and Chakwera were equal on about 37 percent of the vote with about one-third of polling centres counted after Tuesday’s election.

“So far the message is clear, we know that we have a tremendous lead,” he told a news conference at his house in Blantyre.

“No one is going to rig this election. Justice is going to prevail.”

Chakwera said his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) was conducting its own count, even though local observers earlier declared the election largely free and fair.

“Those in power, I know you, you’re trying to tamper with elections,” Chakwera said, who came a narrow second in the 2014 election.

“I warn you, you will soon face the long arm of the law”.

Chakwera has campaigned on an anti-graft platform and has been credited with reviving the MCP.

Two months ago, he secured the high-profile support of former president Joyce Banda.

The main opposition candidate in Malawi has taken a slight lead as the elections body continues collating and announcing results from Tuesday’s election – specifically with the presidential race.

The elections body had as at Wednesday morning officially declared 35.67% of results putting Lazarus Chakwera in the lead with 533,217 (37.65%) whiles his closest contender and incumbent Peter Arthur Mutharika came a close second with 524,247 (37.01%).

In a distant third place is Saulos Chilima, Mutharika’s estranged vice who formed a breakaway party to contest for the top seat. He had garnered 293,978 (20.76%).

Given that Malawi operates a first past the post system, whoever comes top irrespective of the percentage will be declared winner.

Analysts hold that its early days yet as results are awaited from other parts of the country, only then can firm projections be made as to a likely winner of the presidential race.

With results received so far: 1,748 out of 5,002 centres:

Meanwhile elections chief Jane Ansah has stressed the need for parties to desist from announcing unofficial results. “Political leaders shouldn’t overstep commission’s authority.

“The mandate to announce results remains solely with MEC. The commission has managed to deliver peaceful and fair elections & is even capable of delivering credible results,” she is quoted to have said.

Malawi’s electoral commission on Wednesday addressed journalists, election observers and political party agents on Wednesday morning, warning against trusting the authenticity of results published on social media.

Commission chief Dr. Jane Ansah reassured the nation that a backup plan had been put in place to deal with any technical hitches that might be encountered, as the country uses the electronic system of tallying results, for the first time.

‘‘The first result was received at midnight but have received only partial results from polling centers. Results have been slow because we’re experiencing some problem in result transmission.’‘

‘‘Security at all centres is very high. Anyone trying to tamper with results transmission I caution them to refrain. Both the police defense force are on high alert,’‘ Dr. Ansah added.

Under the electronic tallying system, results are canned and sent to the national tallying centre in Blantyre, using specially designed forms that have several security features. The commission also has auditors who will confirm figures before they are released and displayed on giant screens at the national tally center.

“I have a strong feeling that the choice I made will carry the day,” said Tima Nyirongo, 31, a mother of two who voted at a polling station in Blantyre, the southern African country’s commercial capital.

While the voting process has so far been peaceful and relatively smooth, there have been a few anomalies that have been registered and acknowledged by the electoral authorities.

Other than the widely reported incident of vice president Chilima’s delayed voting, there have also been issues of misplaced ballot papers and voter’s registers.

The electoral commission said Chilima’s name was transferred from his official polling station, while voting is reported to have started late at the Kanyenjele polling station after it was supplied with a wrong voter’s register.

There have also been reports of misplaced Mangochi ballot papers being found at Naotcha centre in Blantyre, while Blantyre city centre Matope Ward ballot papers were found within Dziwe Balaka south constituency ballots.

President Peter Mutharika is seeking a second and final term, but faces a tough challenge from his deputy, Saulos Chilima and other opposition leaders.

Mutharika’s term has been dominated by food shortages, power outages and ballooning external debt, which have damaged his popularity, as well as concerns about his health.
• his elder brother Bingu wa Mutharika was also president and died after having a heart attack while in office.
• is a constitutional expert and former law professor at Washington University
• previously served as a minister of justice, for education, science and technology, and as minister of foreign affairs

“I am happy that I have voted,” said Mutharika, 78, leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) after leaving a polling station in Thyolo town outside Blantyre.

“There are very long lines but I am encouraging everyone to vote because it is the people who will decide.”

Saulos Chilima was Mutharika’s running mate in 2014 and became vice president — but he then fell out with his boss.
• quit ruling party last year and set up United Transformation Movement ( )
• previously worked as senior executive at Unilever, Coca-Cola and Airtel

Chilima has run a colourful and energetic youth-targeted campaign on a platform of eradicating poverty, fighting graft and creating employment. But it is uncertain if his new party can make a major impact.

His wife Mary made waves ahead of the election, releasing a slick and much-admired rap video extolling her husband’s candidacy.

Former evangelist Lazarus Chakwera, 64, leads Malawi’s oldest party, the Malawi Congress Party, which is the main opposition party and ruled Malawi from 1964 to 1994 under Hastings Banda’s one-party rule.

Chakwera led the party into the 2014 elections, coming second to Mutharika at the polls and he now hopes to go one better.

The Malawi Congress Party has lost all five presidential elections since 1994 but Chakwera has made great efforts to re-energise its base.
• Chakwera was president of the Malawi Assemblies of God from 1989 to 2013
• he was endorsed by former president Joyce Banda in March

“We mounted a very formidable campaign unlike any other party and unlike any other year,” Chakwera said after voting in Lilongwe as crowds scrambled to see him.

“We are positive about the result.”

41-year-old Atupele Muluzi, has drawn large crowds to his rallies and is considered the outsider who has a slim chance.
• son of Bakili Muluzi who governed the country from 1994 until 2004
• is currently the health minister

Analysts say Muluzi’s alliance with the government may have cost him votes.

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Dr. Jane Ansah has explained that Chilima’s name was transferred during the verification process between January and February 2019 from his St Thomas Polling Centre to Chizumulu Island.

Ansah also urged employers to desist from preventing their employees from voting, saying the commission had received complaints.

Local media are reporting that the vice president Saulos Chilima waited up to 40 minutes before he could cast his vote at St Thomas Polling Centre in the capital Lilongwe. His name was reportedly missing from the voters’ register.

Chilima, who fell out with president Mutharika, and quit the ruling party last year, has previously accused the state of harassment and intimidation.

Meanwhile, the European Union Elections Observer Mission (EUOM) in Malawi has deployed over 80 staff at polling stations across the country, and will be giving regular updates throughout the voting, counting and tallying stages.

‘‘It is pleasing to note that polling appears to be underway in all the areas where we have observers, meaning materials have been delivered and polling staff were ready,” the EUOM Chief Observer, Miroslav Poche said on Monday.

‘‘Many polling stations have lengthy queues, indicating that Malawians are turning out in large numbers to vote.’‘

Polling stations opened at 6:00 hours local time (0400 GMT) in Malawi on Tuesday, and voters will now have the opportunity to decide the fate of incumbent president Peter Mutharika who is battling to hold off two serious rivals in a race that focused on corruption allegations and economic development.

Mutharika, who has been in power since 2014, will face opposition from his own deputy Saulos Chilima and former baptist preacher Lazarus Chakwera.

“We have set Malawi on the path of progress,” Mutharika, 78, told several thousand cheering supporters of his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Blantyre at his final campaign rally at the weekend.

His bid for a second term has focused on the economy and his record of improving road and electricity infrastructure across the southeastern African country.

Under Mutharika, inflation has fallen from 23 percent to below nine percent, but still only 11 percent of the population has access to electricity.

The election is the first since a new law forced parties to declare large donations and banned the once-common practice by candidates of giving cash handouts.

Food shortages, power outages and ballooning external debt have hurt Mutharika’s popularity ahead of the vote.

He faces a strong challenge from Chakwera, leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who came a narrow second in the 2014 election.

Ahead of the vote, Chakwera told AFP that he expected “nothing less than victory — we are winning.”

Mutharika’s other opponent, Chilima, quit the ruling party last year to form the youth-focused United Transformation Movement, while staying on as vice president.

Under Malawi law, the president cannot fire the vice president.

Chilima, 46, emphasised his youth credentials by doing push-ups on stage during the campaign.

More than half of the 6.8-million registered voters are under 35.

Dan Banik, a politics professor at the University of Malawi, told AFP that the election posed many questions.

“What will happen when a winner is declared by a narrow margin?” he said.

“How will losing presidential candidates take defeat? Will supporters of the incumbent DPP peacefully accept losing?” he asked.

Banik said that the election commission and the courts could be severely tested by counting complaints after polling day on Tuesday, when voters will also choose lawmakers and local councillors.

In Malawi’s “winner takes all” system, Mutharika won in 2014 with just 36 percent of the vote.

He came to power in the aid-dependent country vowing to tackle corruption after the “Cashgate” scandal erupted a year earlier, revealing massive looting from state coffers.

But his government has been dogged by several high-profile cases of corruption and nepotism.

Last November, Mutharika himself was forced to return a $200,000 donation from a businessman facing a corruption case in a $3-million contract to supply food to the Malawi police.

“It will even be more uncertain and tight than last time. It could undermine the legitimacy of the winning candidate,” said Michael Jana, a Malawi politics specialist at Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand.

Malawi won independence from Britain in 1964, and was then ruled by Hastings Banda as a one-party state until the first multi-party elections in 1994.

The country, which has a population of 18 million people, has one million adults living with HIV, one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Polling stations opened early on Tuesday morning

In Malawi, election officials have started counting votes in what has been described as one of the country's most unpredictable presidential elections.

There were no significant reports of violence and the election appeared to be well organised, correspondents say.

There are seven candidates, but three are seen as having a realistic chance.

President Peter Mutharika is running for a second term, but he is being challenged by his own vice-president, Saulos Chilima, and Lazarus Chakwera.

The southern African country returned to multi-party elections in 1994 after 30 years of authoritarian rule.

The winning candidate just needs to get the largest share of the votes cast rather than more than 50%. Mr Mutharika won the last election in 2014 with 36.4%.

Who are the main candidates?

Image copyright AFP Image caption President Peter Mutharika (right) is facing a stiff challenge from Lazarus Chakwera (left) and Saulos Chilima (centre)

Lazarus Chakwera - Malawi Congress Party - hoping to revive the fortunes of the former ruling party

- Malawi Congress Party - hoping to revive the fortunes of the former ruling party Saulos Chilima - UTM Party - current vice-president running against his boss

- UTM Party - current vice-president running against his boss Peter Mutharika - Democratic Progressive Party - current president running for a second term

The nearly seven million registered voters were also electing a new parliament and local councillors.

"I'm very excited to vote since voting is my right," one woman in the capital, Lilongwe, told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme.

"We are all here to vote for our nation," another man said.

There were some delays, but at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT), an hour after polls were supposed to open, voting was taking place in 97% of polling stations, the independent Malawi Electoral Support Network says.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Voters had seven presidential candidates to choose from - all of them men

More than half of those who have registered are under the age of 34 and the youth vote may emerge as a significant factor.

Mr Chilima, who is 46, left the president's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) last year. He fell out with Mr Mutharika after the president's fitness to run for office, at the age of 78, was questioned.

He has tried to appeal to young people in the promises he has made about addressing unemployment. Critics have said he will not be able to create one million jobs in his first year in office as he promised.

At the scene: Emmanuel Igunza, BBC News

Image copyright AFP

There have been long queues at polling stations across the country.

Many of the voters turned up before dawn, hoping to vote early and go back to work. Voting day is not a public holiday in Malawi.

At the tax office polling station in the commercial capital, Blantyre, voting started nearly half an hour late, angering hundreds who had come early.

When I arrived 20 minutes before polls opened, electoral officials were scrambling to set up the voting stations.

People voiced their frustration at the electoral commission chairperson, who was at the centre to oversee the start of voting.

She managed to calm the crowd, and voting has been going on smoothly, albeit slowly.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Supporters of the leading three parties, the Democratic Progressive Party (left), the UTM Party (centre) and the Malawi Congress Party (right) have been attending rallies ahead of the vote

On election day, Mr Chilima was initially unable to vote at his polling station in Lilongwe as his name was not on the register.

According to the electoral commission, Mr Chilima's name had been transferred to Chizumulu Island in Likoma district. He was eventually able to cast his ballot after contacting officials.

Mr Chakwera, 64, is the candidate for the resurgent Malawi Congress Party (MCP) - the official opposition.

The MCP led Malawi to independence in 1964 and governed the country as the sole legitimate party for three decades. But it has been out of power since multi-party politics returned 25 years ago.

Election in numbers

6.9 million registered voters

54% of them are between the ages of 18 and 34

56% of registered voters are female

All 7 presidential candidates are male

More than 5,000 polling stations across the country

Polls opened for 12 hours from 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT)

With high levels of poverty, the economy, and in particular the state of agriculture, has been a big issue.

The government has been praised for the farm-input subsidy programme to help poor farmers but opposition parties say it has been fraught with corruption, another major issue on the campaign trail.

The electoral commission has eight days to announce the result, but correspondents say it could be known as early as Wednesday evening. </s> Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika has leapfrogged the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Lazarus Chakwera on the fresh pattern of results.

Mutharika beats Lazarus Chakwera in the 75.81% of votes from the 3792 polling centers out of all 5002 polling centers nationwide.

Chakwera had been leading at the stage of 35.% last night.

The DPP now leads with 40.49% against Chakwera’s 35.44%.

Saulos Chilima of the UTM falls third with 18.35%.

Rounding up the seven list of Presidential aspirants are Peter Kuwani of the MMD with 0.43%, John Chisi of the UP with 0.40% and lastly Independent candidate Hadwick Kaliya with 0.33%.

According to MEC Chairperson Jean Ansah, all queries are being treated by the commission.

They span from miscellaneous annomalies that have risen over the last 24 hours.

Presidential Vote tabulation as at around 75.81 % as follows: </s> BLANTYRE, Malawi — Voting has started in in Malawi to elect a new president and 193 members of parliament.

Before dawn, hundreds of voters lined up Tuesday at polling centers to cast their ballots in the election in which 78-year-old President Peter Mutharika is seeking re-election to a second term.

Mutharika is in a tight race against his vice-president, 46-year-old Saulos Chilima, and the leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera, 64.

Malawi’s army and police will provide security at polling stations for the 6 million registered voters.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Malawians are voting in 5,006 poling centres across the country to elect a president, Members of Parliament and local councillors.

Polling centres have opened at 6am to allow 6.8 million registered voters to choose their leaders.

vice president Saulos Chilima and Lazarus Chakwera are the main challengers to President Peter Mutharika who is seeking reelection in the presidential election which has seven candidates.

The other four are Atupele Muluzi of United Democratic Front, Peter Kuwani of Mbakuwaku Movement, John Chisi of Umodzi Party and independent candidate Hadwick Kaliya.

The presidential candidate with the largest share of the votes cast will win Malawi’s sixth election since the return of multiparty democracy in 1994.

The Malawi Electoral Commission has eight days to announce the result but the winner could be officially announced by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, Chairperson Dr. Jane Ansah says voting has started well and the commission has not reported any challenge so far and all centres have opened across the country.

The MEC Chair was on the ground in Blantyre as polls opened.
The Malawi Electoral Commission reports, with 75% of the vote counted, President Peter Mutharika leads with 40.44% of votes, the opposition Malawi Congress Party's Lazarus Chakwera has 35.34%, and Deputy President Saulos Chilima received 18.35% of the votes cast in Tuesday's presidential election.