The Malawian High Court's judgement on the 2019 elections

Reflections on Malawi's 2019 Presidential Election Case

A seminar with Danwood Chirwa

The Malawian general election was held on 21 May 2019. Incumbent President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party was re-elected, with his party remaining the largest in the National Assembly.

However, on 3 February 2020, the Constitutional Court delivered its much anticipated ruling and annulled the presidential election results due to evidence of irregularities, and ordered fresh elections be held in 150 days. This seminar will discuss the 2019 election, contextualize the court’s bold decision as well as its aftermath as we look to the 2020 elections.

Danwood Chirwa is the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Professor Chirwa joined UCT in 2004 as a lecturer in commercial law and has a wealth of institutional knowledge and experience. He has held various leadership positions in the faculty, including acting dean in 2014 and head of the Department of Public Law from 2009 to 2014.

This seminar will take place on Tuesday, March 3rd at 12:50pm in the Centre for Social Science Research Seminar Room, 4.29, Leslie Social Science Building. University of Cape Town.

Afrobarometer has further information on the Malawian election published in two recent dispatches available here and here.