Peter Mutharika, a former foreign minister, was sworn in as Malawi’s new president on Saturday after defeating former President Joyce Banda in a bitter and chaotic election. Mutharika, the brother of a former president, Bingu Wa Muthaika, garnered 36 percent of the vote against Banda’s 20 percent, the electoral commission said.

Banda assumed the presidency only two years ago when her predecessor, Bingu Wa Muthaika, died in office. She has now become only the third incumbent leader in the history of southern Africa to concede defeat in an election. She had earlier however called for the whole election to be annulled, denouncing “serious irregularities” and claiming the contest was “null and void”, the Telegraph reported.

The country’s High Court rejected Banda’s request to block the release of the election results, allowing the head of the electoral commission to duly declared Mutharika the winner.