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| Malawi court blocks President Banda election annulment | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Malawi's High Court has rejected a decision by President Joyce Banda to annul this week's general election - in which she was a candidate. | |
| Ms Banda had earlier said Tuesday's vote had been marred by rigging, multiple voting and computer-hacking. | Ms Banda had earlier said Tuesday's vote had been marred by rigging, multiple voting and computer-hacking. |
| She said a new vote should be held within 90 days but she would not stand again in any new poll. | She said a new vote should be held within 90 days but she would not stand again in any new poll. |
| However, the head of the electoral commission said the president did not have the power to annul the vote. | However, the head of the electoral commission said the president did not have the power to annul the vote. |
| The High Court made its ruling after the commission said that despite problems involving the electronic count the poll remained valid and vote-counting would go on. | |
| Malawi's election was chaotic, with one BBC correspondent reporting people voting two days on from election day because of delays in distributing polling material. | Malawi's election was chaotic, with one BBC correspondent reporting people voting two days on from election day because of delays in distributing polling material. |
| Frustrated voters set one polling station alight and smashed election material at another. | Frustrated voters set one polling station alight and smashed election material at another. |
| In some places, voting boxes or lids did not arrive so officials used buckets and plastic wrap. | In some places, voting boxes or lids did not arrive so officials used buckets and plastic wrap. |
| Late on Friday, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) said Joyce Banda's rival candidate Peter Mutharika had taken a lead of 42%, with 30% of votes counted. Ms Banda was in second place with 23%, the commission said. | |
| "I am nullifying the elections, using the powers invested in me by the Malawi constitution," Ms Banda told a news conference. | "I am nullifying the elections, using the powers invested in me by the Malawi constitution," Ms Banda told a news conference. |
| "I want to give Malawians an opportunity to choose a candidate of their choice in a free and fair manner. When elections are to be held again, I will be stepping aside," she added. | "I want to give Malawians an opportunity to choose a candidate of their choice in a free and fair manner. When elections are to be held again, I will be stepping aside," she added. |
| Mrs Banda had previously accused a party, which she did not name, of infiltrating and hacking the MEC's counting system. | Mrs Banda had previously accused a party, which she did not name, of infiltrating and hacking the MEC's counting system. |
| The MEC's chairman denied that its system had been hacked. | The MEC's chairman denied that its system had been hacked. |
| In a previous statement about the elections, Mrs Banda had said that irregularities included | In a previous statement about the elections, Mrs Banda had said that irregularities included |
| Around 7.5 million people were eligible to vote in the fifth elections since the end of one-party rule 20 years ago. | Around 7.5 million people were eligible to vote in the fifth elections since the end of one-party rule 20 years ago. |
| This was the first time that Malawi held presidential, parliamentary and local elections on the same day. | This was the first time that Malawi held presidential, parliamentary and local elections on the same day. |