By Burnett Munthali
After a long wait since Malawians voted in the September 16, 2025 general election, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Friday night announced presidential results from four district councils out of a total of 36.
MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja explained that although the Commission had received results from 16 councils, it had only completed the verification process for four councils, namely Likoma, Kasungu Municipality, Luchenza Municipality and Mwanza.
In Likoma, Lazarus Chakwera received 1,817 votes, while Peter Mutharika amassed 4,177 votes.
In Kasungu Municipality, Chakwera managed 8,818 votes, while Mutharika received 7,831 votes.
In Luchenza Municipality, Chakwera secured 336 votes as Mutharika collected 7,547 votes.
In Mwanza, Chakwera received 2,228 votes while Mutharika dominated the race with 30,576 votes.
From the four councils whose results have been verified and announced, Chakwera has accumulated a total of 13,199 votes while Mutharika has surged ahead with 50,071 votes.
Justice Mtalimanja further revealed that 16 councils out of the 36 have so far managed to deliver the physical tally sheets to the National Tally Centre in Blantyre.
The councils that have successfully brought in their results include Phalombe, Ntchisi, Chitipa, Karonga, Karonga Town, Nkhatabay, Balaka, Mwanza, Thyolo, Zomba City, Zomba District, Luchenza Municipality, Likoma, Ntcheu and Salima.
The announcement marks the first official release of presidential results by MEC, setting the tone for a closely watched tallying process that is expected to intensify as more results continue to trickle in from across the country.
Forward-Looking Analysis
While Peter Mutharika appears to have taken an early lead with commanding margins in Luchenza and Mwanza, these results come from councils that are traditionally not considered strongholds for Lazarus Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Chakwera’s relatively better showing in Kasungu Municipality indicates that his support base in the Central Region may still prove decisive once larger councils from that area begin reporting.
On the other hand, Mutharika’s strong numbers in Mwanza and Luchenza suggest that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has maintained its dominance in parts of the Southern Region, giving him an early cushion in the tally.
As more councils bring in their results, particularly from the Northern and Central Regions where voter turnout is reported to have been significant, the race is expected to tighten, making it too early to draw any final conclusions from this first batch.
The unfolding tally highlights the importance of regional strongholds, voter turnout patterns, and how each candidate’s support base will balance out once all 36 councils have been accounted for.
Historical Context and Regional Voting Patterns
Malawi’s electoral history shows that early results often give an incomplete picture of the final outcome, as voting patterns vary sharply by region.
In the Southern Region, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under Peter Mutharika has consistently dominated since 2009, drawing overwhelming support from districts such as Thyolo, Mulanje, Chiradzulu, and Mwanza. In 2014 and 2019, this stronghold delivered large margins that kept the DPP competitive nationally, even when turnout in other regions was high. However, turnout in the South has historically fluctuated, with rural dominance often outweighing urban dissent.
In the Central Region, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has long held the advantage, particularly in districts such as Lilongwe, Dedza, Kasungu, and Ntchisi. In both 2019 and the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election, Chakwera’s dominance in the Central Region was decisive. High voter turnout in Lilongwe and Kasungu in 2020 not only erased Mutharika’s early lead but also gave Chakwera the momentum needed to win nationally. The Central Region has often served as the “game-changer” in Malawi’s elections because of its large voter base.
In the Northern Region, voting patterns have historically been fragmented but influential. In 2014, turnout in Karonga, Mzimba, and Rumphi gave Joyce Banda and later Lazarus Chakwera significant numbers, even though they could not outpace Mutharika at the national level. By 2020, the Northern Region’s overwhelming turnout for Chakwera and the MCP-UTM alliance consolidated a broad coalition that contributed to his eventual victory. The North, while smaller in population compared to the South and Centre, has often acted as a “kingmaker” region, tipping close contests.
Past elections also demonstrate how early tallies can mislead. In 2014, Joyce Banda looked strong in early results from parts of the Centre, only for Mutharika to surge once Southern tallies poured in. In 2019, early figures favored Mutharika, but the subsequent legal battles over tallying errors and the infamous “Tippex election” underscored how fragile early projections can be. Finally, in 2020, initial results again seemed close, but as Central and Northern tallies were verified, Chakwera overtook Mutharika and built an unassailable lead.
These regional dynamics highlight why Malawians are cautious about reading too much into the early 2025 results. While Mutharika’s lead in the Southern strongholds appears commanding, the Centre and North still hold the key to determining who will ultimately occupy State House.
