Blantyre - Malawi President Peter
Mutharika, facing likely defeat when the result of this week's
presidential election is announced, said on Saturday there had
been voting irregularities including violence and intimidation
against his party's election monitors.
However, he called for peace ahead of the official
announcement of the winner.
Unofficial tallies from Tuesday's vote show that opposition
leader Lazarus Chakwera has an unassailable lead. The electoral
commission has announced results from just over two-thirds of
districts.
In an address to the nation, Mutharika said the ruling
Democratic Progress Party (DPP) monitors were "beaten, hacked,
abducted and intimidated so that they should not participate in
voting observation process."
As a result, Mutharika said the DPP and its alliance partner
believed most of the results were not a true reflection of the
people.
"Strangely, the Malawi Electoral Commission has dismissed
our complaints because our monitors were not there to report
irregularities," he said.
The opposition has denied the allegations.
Police spokesman James Kadadzera said he was not immediately
aware of reports on violence and intimidation.
The electoral commission said earlier it had received
complaints from the DPP on alleged violence against the party's
monitors.
Tuesday's vote was regarded as a test of the ability of
African courts to tackle ballot fraud and restrain presidential
power.
The judiciary infuriated Mutharika in February by
overturning the result of an election last year that had given
him a second term, citing irregularities, and ordering a
re-run.
If defeated in the re-run, Mutharika -- in power since 2014
-- could choose to either challenge the result in court or step
aside.
"As much as we find this election unacceptable, but for the
sake of peace, I wish to ask all Malawians to be peaceful as the
results are announced," he said.
Mutharika's disputed win last year sparked months of
anti-government demonstrations, a rare sight in Malawi.