Mutharika urges Tembo to drop elections challenge
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has appealed to Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president John Tembo to concede that he lost the May 19 elections and drop his challenge in court.
Mutharika was speaking on Sunday in Mtakataka, Dedza district when he held a public meeting after attending the consecration of Anglican Bishop for Upper Shire, Brightson Malasa.
“It is a waste of time for Tembo to be going to court. It is only reasonable for Hon Tembo to help government develop the nation,” said President Mutharika.
Mutharika said grounds for Tembo’s elections challenge were frivolous and baseless.
He pointed out that he won the elections with a wide margin.
But Tembo has snubbed the call to drop the case saying he will continue pursuing the matter in the court.
Tembo told Zodiak Radio on Sunday that he wants “justice to prevail”.
The veteran opposition leader said he was still collecting evidence to tender in court to prove rigging claims.
Tembo said he still had outstanding problems with the electoral process and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
“What I am taking to court are the issues which are causing concern to me and to my followers. We want to get clarity to ensure that elections were free and fair, democratically and so on. I haven’t conceded defeat,” said 77-year-old Tembo.
Tembo, in a sworn affidavit alleges lodged in the High Court said the polls had irregularities ranging from voters’ roll, acquisition of extra ballot papers, abuse and monopoly of public radio MBC and TVM, misuse of public resources, failure by monitors and other stakeholders to do their job well.
“In view of the irregularities and breaches of the electoral laws and the Constitution, the second respondent [President Mutharika] was not duly elected, the election was null and void and that a re-run of the presidential election can be conducted by the first respondent (the EC) in a free and fair manner and in compliance with all the electoral and related laws and the Constitution,” reads part of Tembo’s affidavit.
He claims that verification of results was not allowed and that results in most districts were delivered in open and unsealed envelops contrary to the laws of the country.
President Mutharika and his running mate Joyce Banda the first-ever female Vice-President of Malawi, got 65 per cent of total votes far ahead of Tembo’s 31.8 per cent.
The governing DPP also attained a two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Tagged with: Bingu, DPP, elections, High Court, John Tembo, MCP
Mr Tembo when you tried to stop MEC to announce the election results does it means you would have hold the whole country waiting for you to tender your concerns? The fact that you took aoths and allegiance thats a clear acceptance of conceding defeat. Its all in black and white. When you swear allegiance, whose leadership were you swearing to support then? Why make a fool of yourself and the party. If you have that bucks to spend why not assist orphanages in your constituency, at least your people will remember you for the good gesture and good will but not dragging the election results to court.
Nice website,I love it. Plz keep it up.
The guys’ comment has attracted so much attention from lots of people. Bt the truth of the matter is ANTHU A KU MPOTO OLO PATAVUTA MAKA MUKHALA ONGOTHANDIZIRA BASI.
Ku Mphoto is where presidents are manufactured. Talk of HKB made Ngwazi in the North, talk of Bingu.. made Ngwazi in the North. We are proud to be Kingmakers.
A Bingu womwewa…kuti wa wa wa wa. Next we are making Ishmael to be Leader of the Opposition.Mwana Ishmael ndiwolimba moyo, PULUDZU-Genuine. oBaba oPuludzu “aka” Buluzi Tembo take a rest…and concentrate on your court cases with the assistance of your BJ “wokubweletsela mavoti”!!???
JZU AND BJ ARE KILLERS BEST FOR THE MAFIA STYLE OF EXECUTION, TRIBALISTIC,MBAVA, WOMANISERS,PROMOTERS OF NEPOTISM. LOOK AT THEIR DREAM WOULD BE CABINET… MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE; EDUCATION; DEFENCE; FINANCE; FOREIGN AFFAIRS; ETC ALL THESE POST WERE GOING TO BE HELD BY JZU. JUST LIKE HE DID IN HKB DAYS…CHAIRMAN OF 26 PARASTATALS.VERY GREEDY IN DEEDS. ALL BYE-ELECTIONS FOR DPP VICTORY. MWINA BJ TRY YOUR OTHER MISFORTUNE KU NDIRANDE AGAINST YOUR INLAW MAGANGA, MUPEMELERANE DOOM.WE THANK THE LORD ALMIGHTY FOR DELIVERING MALAWIANS THROUGH BINGU. ATAMANDIKE YAHWEH.CHAUTA AMSUNGE NGWAZI BINGU… MOSES WATHU WATHU WACHI MALAWI…WA WHOLE WORLD YA MALAWI!!FROM CHISITU TO DEDZA VIA BCA & KAPOLOMA..WHOLE WORLD OF MALAWI ITS BLUE BLUE BLUE WITH THE STAR OF DAVID ENBEDDED IN THE MAIZE COBS. A BINGU WOYE!!!!!
What an emotional and controversial issue!! The comments underline that Malawi is just like any other african or european country which was not built from recent migration, hence we do not have a melting pot. We can trace our tribe, village and mfumu.
For those of you in the diaspora, especially in UK, you know that over the past 30 – 40 years there has ben no British Prime Minister outside England. It is not by chance or coincidence. Its not that Scotland, Wales and Northern Island have no brains to rule Britain…it boils down to tribalism whether we agree with it or not. The majority population is English and is in England and they determine who becomes PM—-its just like a given fact that no Scot nor Wales has Prime Minister material no matter what. Across the mainland in Europe, you will find that voting patterns in most countries follow ethnic or tribalistic lines.
Back in our beloved Malawi, the voting pattern has not changed at all….MCP remains a rejected party in both the South and the North..this is a message from referendum in 1993…63% was for change (which was basically North plus South) and 37% was for Tambala Wakuda. MCP has remained with its 37% share of the votes ever since. UDF won in 1994, 1999 and 2004 based on its Southern majority. In 2009, although UDF or rather Muluzi switched to support MCP, the majority of the South remained firmly behind a promising Southern party -DPP. The North also chose to side with DPP. At least 60% of the voters in 2009, voted in 1993 and 1994 elections hence they still have the same image of tyranic MCP.
Why the voting pattern is like this? Of course there are many reasons to explain of which tribalism or regionalism is just one of the important ones. We cannot deny that malawi is still tribalistic and Regionalistic? Uku ndiye Nyani kukana chikundu chake.
It is obvious that some people fom the centre feel that they are victims of tribalism…but as we all know politics is a game of numbers and alliances….if the South and the North continue looking at MCP as a Central Region party, which some people from Central Region also see in relation to DPP and UDF, we will always have a President from a Southern Region dominant party.
Whether a Tumbuka and the northern region people are more intelligent than people from the South and the Centre? Oh this is another emotional issue. The Tumbukas themselves they know that this is not true but they choose to believe otherwise. No grain of argument will take this away from them. It is the same notion that the Boers have in relation to the black people, the same notion that the Aryan race of German’s Hitler had in relation to the rest of the world, the same notion that the Tutsi’s have in relation with the Hutus, the same superiority complex that the Zulus have in relation to the other tribes of South Africa, the list is endless.
Even, a Tumbuka street begger, prostitute, street vendor, harbour these feelings.
The Southern and Central regions people who have had a chance to mix with the Tumbukas in their own region (Northern region), at academic institutions, churches and work places, know very well that the Tumbukas have this feeling and complex in their heart.
In the late 80´s at Chanecllor College, the Northern block (Tumbukas, Tongas, Lambyas, Nyakyusas, etc) used to call themselves “Mbawula” in an open rebuke of their Southern and Central colleagues. It is doubtful that 20 years down the line that superiority complex has disappeared!
Back to the topic, Tembo and or any other interested party has a democratic and human right to seek court recourse for their insatisfaction with the 2009 elections. Bingu or any other person has no right whatsover, to stop someone from exercising his or her human right. The most importnat thing here is that Tembo and or whoever would like to invoke his or her right to have his or her concerns heard by an independent court, should do that peacefully without interefring with the exrcise of the rights of other people. So far there has been nothing suggesting that Tembo and others are abusing the exercise of their right.
Let democracy and human rights prevail in the way The Repulican Constitution allow.
Some one print these comments and give them to bambo Tembo, he should not make himself joking bag of rubish , he is very mature man who needs tobe respected so let him retire and we will respect him like Dr Banda.There are better things that needs finance not court cases that are baseless,Malawian want good life not listening to court cases all the time,Dedza has very bad roads and poor medical facilities why not use that money instead of running around courts shame bambo!Dont be like little child crying for spilt milk , learn something , ist over , who will ever listen to you Ndopazose zira! the spirits are against you .
Tembo snubbed the AU delegation, this is the time he would have needed them more. The courts will not help him. He will waste five years fighting while his friends will be gaining ground.At least if Tembo had not snubbed the AU delegation, he should have asked them to work out a unity government so that he should have the feel of executive powers in multiparty democracy.
Tembo should also sue Muluzi and BJ for cheating him that he would win the elections.These two crrocks owe him an explanation.