Staff Reporter

Results from Malawi’s ongoing 2025 general elections indicate a surprising lead for former President Peter Mutharika, with preliminary tallies showing him ahead in regions that are traditionally strongholds for incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera.
The presidential candidates are seventeen in total.

Mutharika, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is showing dominance in Malawi’s Southern Region.

He has secured a massive lead in districts like Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Zomba, Mangochi, Salima, Nkhata Bay, and Ntcheu, with vote shares reported between 65 and 80 percent.

More notably, Mutharika is making gains in areas that have historically supported Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the Central and Northern Regions.

Early figures show a narrowing gap in districts such as Kasungu, Dedza, Karonga, Mzimba, and Mzuzu City, where the MCP previously held commanding leads.

In urban centers, Mutharika appears to be exceeding expectations.

Results from Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe City, and Mzuzu also show him with a considerable lead.

The 2025 elections are being held under a 50 percent-plus one rule, which requires a candidate to secure an outright majority to avoid a runoff.