ADDIS ABABA: The African Union congratulated Peter Mutharika for his election win in Malawi on Thursday, commending Malawians for a peaceful campaign.
The veteran politician, who held power from 2014 to 2020, was re-elected with nearly 57 percent of the vote to lead the largely poor country of 21 million people.
It was a landslide win over incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera’s 33 percent, Malawi’s election commission said on Wednesday.
The chair of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, expressed his congratulations to 85-year-old Mutharika.
In a statement posted on X, he said he “commends all the people of Malawi for their enthusiastic, peaceful and orderly engagement in this credible democratic process”.
Mutharika, known by his supporters as “father”, must be sworn into office between seven and 30 days of the announcement of his victory.
He pledged economic growth and an end to a foreign exchange shortage that has restricted imports of fuel and fertiliser.
More than 70 percent of the country lives in poverty, according to the World Bank’s benchmark. – AFP
