LILONGWE (Reuters) -Malawi's former President Peter Mutharika has built a commanding lead over incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in the Southern African country's presidential election, provisional results from two-thirds of councils showed on Monday.
Mutharika received roughly 66% of the valid votes cast in 24 of the country's 36 councils in the September 16 election, compared with about 24% for Chakwera, who is in second place, according to Reuters calculations based on results released by the electoral commission.
A candidate needs to secure more than 50% of valid votes for an outright win, otherwise there will be a second round of voting.
Political analysts had predicted that Mutharika, 85, who was in power between 2014 and 2020, would mount a strong challenge to Chakwera's re-election bid.
Malawians have faced a worsening economic crisis under former pastor Chakwera, 70.
A devastating cyclone and a regional drought, both linked to climate change, wiped out crops and caused food shortages. Inflation has been above 20% for over three years.
Former law professor Mutharika was credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation while head of state, but critics accused him of cronyism, which he denies.
Chakwera came to office pledging to clean up graft, but his handling of cases has been criticised as selective and slow.
The electoral commission has until the end of September 24 to announce the full presidential election result.
It says it is carefully checking every tally sheet, after the constitutional court annulled Mutharika's 2019 election victory because of irregularities including the use of correction fluid on results sheets. Chakwera won the re-run of that election in 2020.
(Reporting by Frank Phiri;Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; Writing by Alexander WinningEditing by Marguerita Choy)
