Opposition wins historic rerun of Malawi’s presidential vote

The opposition has won Malawi’s historic rerun of the presidential election.

It is the first time a court-overturned vote in Africa has led to the defeat of an incumbent leader.

Lazarus Chakwera’s victory was a result of months of determined street protests and a unanimous Constitutional Court decision that the May 2019 vote had widespread irregularities and could not stand.

Mr Chakwera won with 2.6 million votes out of 4.4 million cast.

President Peter Mutharika, who had sought a second five-year term, called this new election flawed but has urged the country to “move on peacefully”.