The Malawian Electoral Commission (MEC) on Monday declared incumbent President, Peter Mutharika as the winner of last Tuesday’s presidential election in the country, having garnered 38.67% of the total votes cast.

The results were announced by the MEC after the country’s High Court lifted its weekend injunction which blocked their release following opposition allegations of tampering by Mutharika’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

On Saturday, the court granted the opposition an injunction after the MEC received 147 cases of irregularities, including result sheets with sections blotted out or altered with correction fluid.

Although the reports of tampering sparked protests in some opposition strongholds, the court lifted the injunction on Monday, giving room for the electoral commission to confirm Mutharika’s narrow victory.

Electorates in the southern African nation had gone to the polls to cast ballots for the parliament and president in a bruising race between Mutharika and two of his former allies, Lazarus Chakwera and Deputy President, Saulos Chilima.

Announcing the results, the chairperson of the MEC, Justice Jane Ansah said Mutharika polled 1,940,709 votes while Chakwera of the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) scored 1,781,740 votes (35.41%).

Ansah said Deputy President Chilima won 20.24% of the valid votes cast, Atupele Muluzi of the UDF got 235,164 (4.67%), Peter Kuwani of MMD polled 20,369 votes (0.40%), Prof. John Chisi of UP got 19,187 (0.38%) while Reverend Kaliya of IND polled 15,726 votes (0.31%). 

The 78-year-old Mutharika who came to power in 2014 is credited with improving the country’s infrastructure and lowering inflation but has recently faced accusations of corruption and favouring rural regions where his support base is strongest.