Mec Declares DPP's Peter Mutharika Winner

The Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) on Saturday declared Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)'s presidential candidate, Peter Mutharika, president-elect at a highly-patronised event held at Comesa Hall in Blantyre.

Mec chairperson, Justice Maxon Mbendera, said Mutharika and his running mate Saulos Chilima were the president-elect and vice president-elect, respectively.

His announcement came after Rev. Ambassador Chimkwita Phiri anounced that Mutharika had polled 1,904,399 of the votes, representing 36.4 percent, followed by Malawi Congress Party's presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera, who polled 1,455,880, representing 27.8 percent, while the incumbent Joyce Banda came third, with 1,056,236 votes, representing 20.2 percent. United Democratic Front's presidential candidate, Atupele Muluzi, came forth with 717, 224 of the votes, representing 13.7 percent.


Northern Region Vote
In the Northern Region, 848, 542 voters turned up on polling day and voted in the presidential election, of which 842, 962 were valid votes and 5,580 were declared null and void.

Of these, People's Party's Joyce Banda polled 448, 953 votes, representing 56.6 percent; MCP's Lazarus Chakwera came second with 180, 498, representing 22.8 percent; Mutharika polled 175, 850, representing 22.2 percent; while Atupele Muluzi polled 21, 938, representing 2.8 percent.

James Nyondo of the National Salvation Front polled 3, 800 votes (0.5 percent); Kamuzu Chibambo of People's Transformation Party 3, 596 (0.5 percent); John Chisi of Umodzi Party 2, 312 (0.3 percent); Mark Katsonga Phiri of the Peoples Progressive Movement 1, 556 (0.2 percent); Helen Singh of United Independence Party 1, 514 (0.2 percent); George Nnesa of Malawi Forum for Unity and Development 1, 195 (0.2 percent); Friday Jumbe of Nw Labour Party 1, 059 (0.1 percent), and; Aaron Davis Katsonga of Chipani Cha Pfuko 691 (0.1 percent).


Central Region Vote
In the Central Region, a total of 2, 118, 323 voters turned up and voted in the presidential election, of which 2, 096, 199 were valid votes and 22, 124 were declared null and void.

MCP's Chakwera got more votes than other presidential aspirants, polling 1, 208, 269 votes (56.3 percent); DPP's Mutharika came second with 430, 117 votes (20 percent); Joyce Banda of PP 272, 709 (12.7 percent); Atupele Muluzi of UDF 154, 353 (7.2 percent); Kamuzu Chibambo of Petra 8, 092 votes (0.4 percent); John Chisi 4,394 (0.2 percent); James Nyondo 3, 825 (0.2 percent); Mark Katsonga Phiri 3, 702 (0.2 percent); George Nnesa 3, 319 (0.2 percent); Helen Singh 2, 985 (0.1 percent); Friday Jumbe 2, 728 (0.1 percent), and; Aaron Davis Katsonga 1, 636 (0.1 percent).


Southern Region Vote
In the Southern Region- where 2, 318, 393 voters cast their ballots for presidential candidates, of which 2, 289, 422 votes were valid and 28, 971 votes were declared null and void- DPP's Mutharika came tops.

Mutharika polled 1, 298, 432 votes (56.7 percent); Atupele Muluzi polled 540, 963 (23.6 percent); Joyce Banda 334, 574 (14.6 percent); Lazarus Chakwera 67, 013 votes (2.9 percent); Mark Katsonga Phiri 10, 572 (0.5 percent); Kamuzu Chibambo 7, 672 (0.3 percent); George Nnesa 6, 528 (0.3 percent); John Chisi 5, 342 (0.2 percent); Hlen Singh 5, 169; Davis Katsonga 5, 126; Jumbe 5,032 (0.2 percent); James Nyondo 2, 998 (0.1 percent).


The percentages
In summary, Democratic Progressive Party's Peter Mutharika won with 36.4 percent of the vote, closely followed by Malawi Congress Party's Lazarus Chakwera with 27.8 percent of the vote. Joyce Banda of the People's Party got 20.2 percent, while Atupele Muluzi of the United Democratic Front captured 13.7 percent of the votes.

It is one of Malawi's most-contested presidential elections since the turn of multiparty politics of governance in 1994.

Parliamentary and Local Government Elections' results will be announced with the next 72 hours, with Mec indicating that it has tallied over 70 percent of the results.