Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja has cautioned political parties and independent presidential candidates to desist from declaring themselves winner of the 2025 election.
Mtalimanja made the call in Lilongwe during a press briefing held at the national tally center at BICC.
Mtalimanja says the commission is the one having the legal mandate to declare a winner in an election after going through due processes.
Her remarks come following heated social media platforms where political parties namely; the Malawi Congress Party -MCP and Democratic Progressive Party-DPP are claiming the victory based on unofficial results.
Mtalimanja warned that this action has a potential to stir anger, which may result in loss of trust in MECs final results.
During the Friday night presser, MEC chair announced the official results for the presidential election from four councils of Mwanza, Lucheza Municipality, Kasungu Municipality and Likoma, which showed that DPP's presidential candidate Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is leading with culmulative 50,131 votes seconded by MCP's Lazarus Chakwera with 13,199.
However, results from 16 councils have arrived at the national tally center, with the commission pleading for calm and peace as it processes the results.
MEC has assured the public that it will manage to declare winner of the presidential election within the prescribed 8 days from the polling day.
