'You missed me, right?' The Malawian ex-president who pulled off a surprise comeback

Lazarus Chakwera, the newly elected president of Malawi, has staged a remarkable political comeback after a decade out of power. Chakwera, a former evangelical preacher, first entered politics in 2009 and served as the leader of the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) for over a decade. In the 2019 elections, he came second to the incumbent president, Peter Mutharika. However, the results were annulled by the country's Constitutional Court, citing "widespread irregularities and anomalies." A new election was ordered, and Chakwera emerged victorious, winning 59% of the vote. Chakwera's victory is seen as a significant blow to the political establishment in Malawi, which has been dominated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the past decade. His campaign focused on anti-corruption and economic development, resonating with a population frustrated by the country's economic stagnation and perceived corruption. The peaceful transfer of power from the DPP to the MCP is being hailed as a victory for Malawi's democracy.