In a dramatic turn of events, Malawi’s former President Peter Mutharika, 85, has surged ahead in the country’s presidential race, securing approximately 66% of the valid votes counted so far. His closest rival, incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, 70, trails with around 24% of the votes. Provisional results from two-thirds of the districts indicate that Mutharika has even managed to win in areas traditionally considered Chakwera strongholds, including the capital, Lilongwe, and Nkhotakota. However, Chakwera’s camp remains optimistic, asserting that once results from remaining districts are announced, his vote share could increase, potentially forcing a run-off. A candidate must secure more than 50% of the vote to win outright, and Malawians are eagerly awaiting the final results from last Tuesday’s election, which the Malawi Electoral Commission has until the end of Wednesday to announce. Two of the 12 districts yet to declare results have a significant number of registered voters, and Chakwera’s team believes he will perform well in these areas, particularly in rural regions around Lilongwe and Dedza. Meanwhile, results from two other districts, where Mutharika is expected to dominate, have been withheld by the electoral commission for accuracy checks. The commission has emphasized its commitment to transparency, accuracy, and credibility, particularly in light of the constitutional court’s annulment of Mutharika’s 2019 victory due to irregularities. Chakwera won the subsequent re-run by a wide margin, but his presidency has been marred by a deepening economic crisis, characterized by high inflation, food and fuel shortages, and frequent power cuts. On Friday, Chakwera’s party alleged ‘irregularities’ and ‘serious anomalies’ in the election process and has called for a ‘physical audit’ of the results, though it has not specified the nature of these irregularities. In a related development, police have arrested eight data entry clerks accused of attempting to manipulate election results. The stakes are high in Malawi’s elections, as the country grapples with a severe cost-of-living crisis.