Malawi's opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera appeared headed for victory on Thursday in a re-run of a presidential vote that was scrapped over massive irregularities, unofficial tallies showed.
Voters went to the polls on Tuesday for the second time in a year to elect a president after the Constitutional Court ordered fresh elections in a historic vote seen as a test for democracy in the southern African country.
The Institute of Public Opinion and Research (IPOR), a local think tank published its own unofficial tally giving Chakwera 60.3% and Mutharika 38.9% of the votes cast.
"If Dr Chakwera had won the election fair and square I would have congratulated him, but unfortunately that is not the case," said Atupele Muluzi, one of Mutharika's main electoral alliance partners.
Mmusi Maimane, the former leader of South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance, also tweeted: "My friend, brother and leader has just won the Malawian elections.... Change is coming," Maimane wrote.
