https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/Malawi's Constitutional Court annulled Peter Mutharika's May 2019 re-election in February 2020, citing irregularities including result sheets altered with correction fluid, and the Supreme Court of Appeal upheld the ruling in May 2020. Lazarus Chakwera won the fresh election in June 2020. Mutharika defeated Chakwera in September 2025 and returned to office.enhttps://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e17malawi-2020-election-annulment-b166a7ce1aSat, 04 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000Mutharika, 85, was sworn in at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre, Reuters reported. Chakwera did not attend, but his party said he wished Mutharika success.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e15malawi-2020-election-annulment-728b330b4eWed, 24 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000Chakwera conceded in a televised address before final results were announced, calling Mutharika the presumptive winner, AP reported. His party had earlier cited what it called serious anomalies in counting, Africanews reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e16malawi-2020-election-annulment-e22421093dWed, 24 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000Electoral Commission chair Annabel Mtalimanja declared Mutharika the winner on the evening of 24 September with about 3 million votes, or 56.8 percent, against 1.77 million, or 33 percent, for Chakwera, Africanews and Reuters reported. Turnout was about 76 percent, Africanews said.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e14malawi-2020-election-annulment-913e78d5f4Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000Malawi held a general election on 16 September 2025, the fourth presidential contest between Mutharika and Chakwera, Reuters reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e13malawi-2020-election-annulment-c48aef9188Sun, 28 Jun 2020 12:00:00 +0000Chakwera was sworn in as Malawi's sixth president in Lilongwe and urged national reconciliation, AP reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e12malawi-2020-election-annulment-1f1ed88412Sat, 27 Jun 2020 12:00:00 +0000The Electoral Commission declared Chakwera the winner with 58.57 percent of the vote, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Mutharika had alleged irregularities, which the commission dismissed, Al Jazeera said. He called the rerun the worst in Malawi's history but urged the country to move on peacefully, AP reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e11malawi-2020-election-annulment-a6308296c4Tue, 23 Jun 2020 12:00:00 +0000Malawians voted in the court-ordered fresh presidential election, AP reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e9malawi-2020-election-annulment-4582fc5e4fFri, 08 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the appeals and upheld the annulment, Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda said in reading the judgment, Nyasa Times reported. The court ordered the fresh vote to use the 2019 voters roll with only 2019 candidates, and Al Jazeera reported it would be held on 2 July.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e10malawi-2020-election-annulment-eaa72c6800Fri, 08 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000The Supreme Court said the Electoral Commission should not have appealed because doing so showed it was taking sides, Al Jazeera reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e8malawi-2020-election-annulment-3ae77ae06dThu, 07 May 2020 12:00:00 +0000Mutharika filed nomination papers for the fresh election with running mate Atupele Muluzi, Al Jazeera reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e7malawi-2020-election-annulment-80225523d6Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000The Supreme Court of Appeal was due to begin two weeks of hearings on appeals by Mutharika and the Electoral Commission on 15 April 2020, AFP reported. Mutharika argued the judges erred in law. The commission argued the court overstepped by ordering Parliament to amend electoral laws. AFP said Mutharika had not assented to amendments that included a requirement of more than 50 percent to win.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e5malawi-2020-election-annulment-2754bc8231Mon, 03 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000The High Court of Malawi, sitting as a Constitutional Court of Justices Tembo, Kamanga, Potani, Kapindu and Madise, unanimously annulled the presidential result in a 500-page judgment and ordered a fresh election within 150 days, Al Jazeera, VOA and Reuters reported. It cited correction fluid, duplicate result sheets and unsigned forms, and said the Constitution requires the winner to obtain a majority of votes cast, VOA reported. Reuters said the ruling reinstated Chilima as vice president.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e6malawi-2020-election-annulment-a4211b202fSat, 01 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000Mutharika's spokesman said the president would appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal, Bloomberg reported. Chilima demanded the resignation of Electoral Commission chair Jane Ansah and her management team.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e4malawi-2020-election-annulment-2a5aaa0c0fThu, 08 Aug 2019 12:00:00 +0000A five-judge panel began hearing the challenge brought by Chilima and Chakwera against Mutharika and the Electoral Commission, alleging fraud and altered result sheets, Al Jazeera reported. Mutharika dismissed the doubts and cited observers who called the vote free and fair.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e3malawi-2020-election-annulment-5be6a6a4dbTue, 06 Aug 2019 12:00:00 +0000A demonstration in Lilongwe calling for electoral accountability turned violent, with shops looted and vehicles burned, and police used tear gas, Al Jazeera reported.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e2malawi-2020-election-annulment-60b8ed797dFri, 31 May 2019 12:00:00 +0000Chakwera said he had petitioned the High Court to nullify the presidential result, which he called daylight robbery, AP reported. Chilima also petitioned for the results to be nullified, AP said. The court had earlier rejected Chakwera's request for an injunction.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e1malawi-2020-election-annulment-5d6597f646Mon, 27 May 2019 12:00:00 +0000The Malawi Electoral Commission declared Mutharika the winner with 38.57 percent, ahead of Chakwera with 35.41 percent and Chilima with 20.24 percent, Reuters reported. A court injunction obtained by the opposition after the commission received 147 reported cases of irregularities, including result sheets altered with correction fluid, had been lifted that day.https://howitunfolded.com/court-cases/malawi-2020-election-annulment/#e0malawi-2020-election-annulment-e03021704cTue, 21 May 2019 12:00:00 +0000Malawians voted for president on 21 May 2019, with President Peter Mutharika, Lazarus Chakwera and Vice President Saulos Chilima among the candidates, Reuters reported.