PP brands Mbendera anti-democracy: ‘Shed tears of guilt for bogus results’
Former ruling People’s Party (PP) has made a scathing attack on Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson, Justice Maxon Mbendera, saying he aided fraudulent elections which saw Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika winning the presidency.
PP spokesman Ken Msonda said on Wednesday that former president Joyce Banda “did not lose the election” but that Mbendera declared Mutharika winner in what he calls “bogus results.”
“PP did not lose the May 20 elections [Mutharika did not win],” said Msonda, citing “serious irregularities” which may have influenced the result.
Msonda said PP will not lodge a court battle against the election results, opting to go for “political solution” in rebuilding the party.
He said former president Banda conceded defeat because Malawi was facing major uncertainty and she wanted to avert a crisis.
“Malawi Electoral Commission has shown that it is not credible and it’s undemocratic,” lamented Msonda, sounding highly charged.
PP publicist said Mbendera declared “fake results” of the elections.
During the announcement of presidential results last Friday night, Mbendera lost his usual ice cold calm he maintained throughout the electoral process and broke down in tears.
Msonda said “those were tears of guilt.”
He said: “Judges are most disciplined people on earth, they don’t show emotions openly. That was guilty conscious as he knew he was presenting bogus results.”
But Mbendera told a local paper that he had an emotional attack after realising that he was about to make a declaration that would spark wild celebrations for the winning party when one family elsewhere was mourning – referring to the man who died in Mangochi during electoral protests earlier in the day.
Mbendera said he was afraid that the violence in Mangochi would escalate nationally, saying: “I feared nationwide bloodshed.”
The MEC chair also declared Malawi elections as “credible.”
But Malawi Congress Party (MCP) whose candidate Lazarus Chakwera came runner up to Mutharika said it would challenge the results in court.
“We are disappointed because this is not a credible election,” said MCP spokeswoman Jessie Kabwila. “We can’t have a president from a junk vote.”
However, DPP spokesman Nicholas Dausi said the victors would not be distracted by “bad losers.”
Banda, the country’s first female President, came to power in 2012 after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika, the elder brother of Peter Mutharika.
She becomes Malawi’s shortest tenured president having served for only two years.
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