Mutharika to be sworn in as Malawi president

Peter Mutharika will be sworn in as president of Malawi for a second term on Tuesday after a contentious election marred by allegations of fraud and vote-rigging.

The Malawi Electoral Commission announced on Monday that Mutharika, who heads the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), had narrowly won last week's vote after an injunction barring the release of the results was lifted.

Mutharika of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) won 38.57 percent against former evangelist Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on 35.41 percent -- a gap of just 159,000 votes.

High court registrar Agness Patemba told AFP the swearing-in ceremony would be conducted by Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda at 2 pm (1200 GMT) in Blantyre's Kamuzu sports stadium.

DPP Secretary General Grezelder Jeffrey has called on all party members to attend the swearing-in, in adverts broadcast on radio and television.

Malawi won independence from colonial ruler Britain in 1964, and was then ruled by Hastings Banda as a one-party state until the first multi-party elections in 1994.