Nation on edge ahead of key court ruling

As Malawi anxiously awaits the results of a Constitutional Court case that could nullify last year’s election, popular resistance to President Peter Mutharika is growing more strident, precipitating the country’s worst political crisis since its return to democracy in 1994. A Mail & Guardian Online report notes that judgment is expected in early February. Protests against the government continue to grow and there are growing calls for the resignation of Justice Jane Ansah, the chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission. Mutharika has cut down on public appearances and avoided travelling in opposition-friendly areas, especially in the central regions. The size of his security detail has been greatly increased, and he now travels with an escort of armoured military vehicles.