Former Malawi President Peter Mutharika has a strong lead in partial election results

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BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Former Malawi President Peter Mutharika held a strong lead over incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in partial results released Monday in Malawi's elections.

Mutharika lost the presidency to Chakwera five years ago in an election rerun. Mutharika, 85, of the Democratic Progressive Party won the 2019 election only for a court to cancel the result months later because of irregularities and order a redo.

In this vote, Mutharika received around 68% of votes cast after results from 24 out of 36 councils were declared.

Chakwera, 70, of the Malawi Congress Party, was second with just over 20% of the vote. The current president won the rerun in 2020, but his first term has been characterized by steep rises in the cost of living in a largely rural country with widespread poverty. Inflation is above 27% and the country faces fuel and food shortages.

A total of 17 candidates ran for president in of one of Africa's least developed nations in the elections last Tuesday. The winner must receive more than 50% of the vote or there will be a runoff.

Malawians also voted for the makeup of Parliament and local government representatives in an election where the country's economic turmoil is the main issue.

Malawians have waited nearly a week for the results and have grown impatient, but the Malawi Electoral Commission has said repeatedly it will not be pressured to declare the final tallies before the proper counting process has been completed.

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