The Malawi Electoral Commission has declared leader of opposition Democratic Progressive Party, Peter Mutharika, the winner of the Presidential elections, kicking out Joyce Banda from office.
Mutharika got 36.4 percent of the vote while Banda, southern Africa’s first female president, trailed in third place with 20.2 percent of the vote.
Mutharika, 74, is the brother of the late President Bingu Wa Mutharika and was leading the results on May 24 when Banda ordered the parliamentary and presidential elections canceled, citing “rampant irregularities”.
Malawi’s High Court issued an injunction the same day, stopping Banda from interfering with the vote. Second place went to Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party with 27.8 percent of the vote.
“We have to now focus on what matters. Spend our tax money wisely … What unites us Malawians is more important than what divides us,” Malawi Electoral Commission Chairman, Maxon Mbandera said to Mutharika.
Peter Mutharika has been sworn in as Malawi’s President and the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party has urged the 11 other presidential candidates, including outgoing President, Joyce Banda – who has now admitted defeat – to “join me in rebuilding the country”.
Malawi is one of the world’s poorest nations and it is heavily dependent on aid, which provides 40% of the government’s budget.
