A panel of judges in the African country of Malawi is set to announce its ruling in a case following disputes over the result of the country’s presidential elections that took place in May of 2019. The five-man panel from the country’s constitutional court, protected by the military, will read the ruling contained a 500-paged document that will give validity to whether or not there were irregularities in the conduct of the polls.

The elections in May 2019 returned sitting President Peter Mutharika to power, resulting in an outpour of criticism – including protests – over the events of the election, with many alleging that the polls were rigged.

According to the country’s election governing body, Mutharika won at the polls with 38.6% of the votes, securing him a second term, while opposition leader and flag bearer of the Malawi Congress Party, Lazarus Chakwera, lost by a slim margin of 35.4 %. Saulos Chilima, a former ally of the president and candidate of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), came in third with 20.2%.

Opposition Parties Dissatisfied with Election Results

Both Chakwera and Chilima, are seeking the nullification of the presidential elections, alleging that the polls were fraught with irregularities, going as far as accusing the country’s election body, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), of rigging the votes in favour of Mutharika. The MEC has gone on to defend itself in court by dispelling the allegations of rigging levied against it by the opposition party.

Addressing allegations surrounding the use of Tipp-Ex in altering results, the body explained that the correction fluid had been used to alter procedural information that had been entered incorrectly.

These accusations have inadvertently resulted in tensions between the police and opposition supporters. Protests carried out within the country have left several people injured with reported cases of fatality.