A court in Malawi tries to guarantee a fair election

GARTON KAMCHEDZERA is a man of reason. The professor of law at the University of Malawi teaches contracts, trusts and constitutions. But over the past year, as President Peter Mutharika has repeatedly been foiled in his efforts to distort the electoral process, Mr Kamchedzera has wondered whether there might be a higher power at work: God, perhaps, or “some kind of ”.It must feel that way for many in the southern African country of 18m people. A general election in May 2019, which Mr Mutharika was at first declared to have won, involved the liberal use of Tipp-Ex, a correction fluid, to adjust voting tallies. It seemed that credible allegations of rigging were not going to change the outcome. Observers from the European Union noted an “unlevel playing field”, but said the vote was “well managed, inclusive, transparent and competitive”.