Leader of the opposition, Mr. Chakwera, 65, won the presidential election on June 23 against outgoing Peter Mutharika with 58.57% of the vote.
The ballot, the second in just over a year, was ordered by the courts after the historic decision of the Constitutional Court to annul due to fraud the re-election of Mr. Mutharika in May 2019.
In his swearing-in on Sunday, Lazarus Chakwera, who campaigned to denounce the economic failure and corruption of his predecessor’s regime, called for unity in the country and promised a government “at the service of the people.”
In a press release, he announced on Monday that he had appointed Vice-President Saulos Chilima Minister responsible for Economic Planning, Development and Public Sector Reform.
He also entrusted the Ministry of Finance to Felix Mlusu, until then boss of the country’s main insurance company, and that of Justice to Modecai Msiska, the lawyer who defended his interests during the proceedings for annulment of the 2019 election.
The National Security portfolio was assigned to Chikosa Silungwe, Mr. Chilima’s lawyer before the Constitutional Court.
Outgoing President Peter Mutharika denounced “irregularities” during the June 23 poll but did not indicate whether he intended to request his cancellation.
Malawi is the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to have canceled a presidential election, after Kenya in 2017, but the first in which the new election sees the defeat of the outgoing.
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