Former Malawian president Peter Mutharika has surged ahead of incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in the presidential election held on 16 September.
Partial tallies released on Monday indicate the 85 year old is capturing around 68% of the vote, with results from 24 out of 36 councils counted so far.
Chakwera, 70, of the ruling Malawi Congress Party, trails in second place with roughly 24%.
To secure victory, a candidate must win more than 50% of the votes; otherwise, the contest will head to a runoff.
Mutharika, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, governed from 2014 until 2020, when he was unseated by Chakwera in a rerun following election irregularities.
During Chakwera’s tenure, Malawians have struggled with a economic crisis, while Mutharika’s time in office was remarked with improvements in infrastructure and reduced inflation.
