President Peter Mutharika’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) remained the largest party, taking 62 seats in the 193-member National Assembly. It took seven more seats than the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), led by Mr. Lazarus Chakwera. In all, 44 women were elected in 2019, up from 32 elected in 2014. In the presidential elections, held in parallel with the parliamentary polls, the incumbent President Mutharika was declared re-elected after a partial vote recount ordered by the High Court (see note). He narrowly defeated Mr. Chakwera (MCP). On 28 May, Mr. Mutharika was sworn in for a second term. Mr. Chakwera (MCP) took up his parliamentary seat. On 18 June, the newly elected National Assembly elected Ms. Catherine Gotani Hara (MCP) as its Speaker, who thereby became the first woman in Malawi to assume the post.

The 2019 elections were the first to be held after Cyclone Idai hit Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe in March, affecting nearly 3 million people and killing more than 1,000. During the election campaign, the major parties focused on the economy, promising to alleviate poverty and tackle corruption and unemployment. They also promised to develop agriculture to ensure food security.

Note:
The MCP and the United Transformation Movement (UTM) of Vice-President Saulos Chilima accused the Election Commission of vote rigging, an allegation that it denied. The MCP petitioned the High Court to nullify the presidential election results. The High Court subsequently ordered a partial election recount and issued an injunction preventing the Election Commission from announcing the presidential election results. On 27 May, after the High Court lifted the injunction, the Election Commission declared Mr. Mutharika winner of the presidential elections.

On 3 February 2020, the Constitutional Court announced that the presidential result was “invalid, null and void” and ordered a fresh vote in 150 days. The Court stated that “irregularities and anomalies have been so widespread, systematic and grave that the integrity of the results have been seriously compromised”.