MPs reject election amendment Bill

Malawi lawmakers have rejected a Bill that would have meant a President could only be re-elected after securing at least 50% of the ballot, dismissing a landmark order by the country's top court. In its historic ruling, earlier this month the Constitutional Court overturned last year's election of President Peter Mutharika and also ordered that a candidate should be chosen by more than 50% of the ballots cast. Under the current first-past-the-post electoral system, Mutharika won the election with 38.5% of the votes cast, a narrow win against his closest opponent Lazarus Chakwera. A report on the News24 site notes that just 109 parliamentarians voted in favour of the Bill, failing to reach the two-thirds majority of 128 required to amend the Constitution.