Malawi presidential election: State broadcaster says opposition leading

Malawi's opposition is claiming victory in the re-run of last year's presidential election - which was held again after allegations of widespread rigging.

Official results for Tuesday's poll have not yet been declared by Malawi's electoral commission.

But state broadcaster MBC says opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera is leading with 59% of the vote.

President Peter Mutharika, who wants a second term, has 38%, it says.

A third candidate who was not regarded as a serious contender, Peter Kuwani, is said to have received less than 2% of votes.

Last year Malawi became the second African nation to annul a presidential election over irregularities, after Kenya in 2017.

The BBC's southern Africa Correspondent Andrew Harding says it was a rare - and for many an encouraging - judicial intervention on a continent where flawed, even stolen, elections are seldom overturned.

Mr Chakwera's supporters are already celebrating what they believe is a historic victory - in what would be the first time in sub-Saharan Africa that a flawed election result has been overturned, and the opposition has gone on to win power democratically.

Praise has also come from fellow southern African opposition figures.

"New life to Malawi!," said Zimbabwean opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa. "The Lord has given Malawi a Godly man," he added referring to Mr Chakwera's past in the clergy.

"My friend, brother and leader has just won the Malawian elections. I just got off the phone with him and celebrate his achievement," tweeted the former leader of South Africa's DA opposition party Mmusi Maimane.