Blantyre Civic Centre ready for Malawi president swearing in ceremony

Blantyre Civic Centre offices are ready for the swearing in ceremony of President Peter Mutharika should the State manage to remove an injunction stopping the beleaguered Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) from announcing the presidential results.

The place was prepared Saturday afternoon for an evening function after the State thought they would remove the injunction obtained by Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

But government could not find judges at the High Court to discharge the injunction.

“None of the judges were available to hear the application including the motion judge who could not be reached on his mobile and at his home in Blantyre, ” said one of the lawyers handling the matter.

Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawyers were Sunday morning at High Court in Lilongwe to remove the injunction so that they can go ahead with the announcement of results and then swearing in ceremony of President Peter Mutharika.

“As you can see civic centre is ready to host the swearing in ceremony and if they manage to get a judge, then this function will be held this evening after MEC declares Mutharika winner despite the enormous irregularities that have rocked these elections,” said the official in Blantyre .

MEC is expected to hold a press conference at 3pm on Sunday where they are expected to announce the results of the presidential election if the injunction obtained by MCP is removed.

MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka said they turned to the courts because of “very glaring irregularities” noticed on results sheets turned in from polling stations.

Some of the documents showed “the same handwriting coming from different polling stations which are miles apart,” she  said, adding there was “a lot of tippexing”.

Outgoing State Vice President Saulos Chilima, who contested for the presidency on his newcUTM party,  called for results to be annulled over “serious anomalies” reported during vote counting.

Malawi’s 6.8 million voters also elected a new parliament and local government councillors in the 21 May vote.

MEC Saturday night announced the results of parliamentary elections leaving out the presidential one because of the injunction.

The Commission is yet to announce results of local government elections.