BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — The parties of the two main candidates in Malawi’s presidential election declared victory Thursday, drawing rebukes from the electoral commission which is yet to announce results.

Tuesday’s vote is expected to be a close race between President Lazarus Chakwera and challenger Peter Mutharika, the former president who was beaten by Chakwera in the last elections five years ago.

Officials from Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party and Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party held separate news briefings and said their candidates had won.

The Malawi Electoral Committee says it has counted more than 99% of the votes but hasn’t declared any results, keeping a country struggling through an economic crisis and soaring inflation on edge.

“The commission will not hurry the res

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