Top court addresses disputed poll

Malawi's Constitutional Court has begun hearing an opposition application to overturn the results of the country's presidential election held three months ago. Thursday’s hearing in Lilongwe came after the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the United Transformation Movement (UTM) lodged complaints of alleged fraud in the 21 May poll. President Peter Mutharika, leader of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, was re-elected after narrowly defeating Lazarus Chakwera of the MCP. Chakwera alleges he is the rightful winner of the election, calling the result that saw him losing by 159 000 votes as ‘daylight robbery’. A report on the News24 site notes that the opposition has claimed that results sheets were altered using typewriter correction fluid. The judges said the case would take a maximum of 12 days to complete, and would conclude no later than 20 August.