Peter Mutharika is sworn in as Malawi president in political comeback at the age of 85

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BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — Peter Mutharika was sworn in as Malawi's president Saturday after a political comeback at the age of 85 to win last month's election.

Thousands gathered at Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial capital, Blantyre, for Mutharika's inauguration. He previously served as president of the southern African nation from 2014 to 2020.

He lost office in 2020, after a 2019 election he won was nullified by a court because of widespread irregularities and ordered to be rerun the following year.

He won a Sept. 16 election with 56% of the vote compared with 33% for incumbent Lazarus Chakwera to return to office.

Mutharika takes over at a time of economic crisis in Malawi, which is already one of Africa's least developed countries. Soaring inflation and fuel and food shortages led to deep discontent with the leadership of Chakwera.

Malawi, which is heavily reliant on agriculture, has also been hit by recent climate shocks, including a devastating cyclone in 2023 and a drought last year that destroyed crops.

“Our nation is in crisis. There is no food, no foreign exchange. This is a man-made crisis,” Mutharika said at his inauguration. “We will fix this country. I don’t promise you milk and honey, but hard work.”

Mutharika, a law professor who studied at Yale University in the United States, vowed to clamp down on corruption, although he also faced graft allegations during his first term.

Mutharika appealed to the international community to invest in Malawi, saying the country seeks partnerships, not handouts. He praised the United States, the U.K. and the European Union for their support in fighting corruption and said that a Malawian delegation will soon travel to Washington to negotiate following the cutting of U.S. aid that has hurt Malawi.

He said U.S. President Donald Trump sent him a message of congratulations.

Chakwera did not attend Mutharika's inauguration, but his Malawi Congress Party sent a message of goodwill.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa