Malawi has faced economic stagnation since Lazarus Chakwera was elected president five years ago. Photo: AP PHOTO

Malawi's former president Peter Mutharika has taken an early election lead as he faces off for the fourth time against incumbent Lazarus Chakwera.

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Mutharika received roughly 51 per cent of the valid votes cast in nine of the country's 36 councils, compared with almost 39 per cent for Chakwera, according to Reuters calculations of provisional results from one-quarter of councils released by the country's election commission.

A candidate needs to secure more than 50 per c

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