Chakwera refuses to tackle Mutharika’s Sona speech: Justifies MCP exodus in Parliament

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera – who sworn in to start his second term as a member of Parliament (MP) and possibly Leader of Opposition, depending on outcome of the election petition case in the Constitutional Court – has said he will not respond to President Peter Mutharika’s state of the nation address as is the tradition.

At a news conference on Saturday in Lilongwe, Chakwera said he would not respond to the Sona because Mutharika is an illegitimate president.

“I cannot respond to what an illegitimate president says,” said Chakwera, who alongside UTM Party president Saulos Chilima, is contesting the results of the May 21 presidential election, citing irregularities.

The two have dragged Mutharika and Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to Court over what they say manipulation of presidential results.

Chakwera backed the decision by MCP members of parliament who booed and boycotted the Sona.

“They did this to express the will of most Malawians who took to the streets in protest the day before to express their rejection of  Mutharika’s presumption to be president despite overwhelming evidence that he occupies that office through fraud,” Chakwera told the media.

Members of Parliament according to Chakwera represent the people, and so it is proper that the people’s representatives stood with their constituents in this way.

Chakwera, however,  condemned violence which followed the civil society activists organized peaceful protests.

“This was done by a few misguided individuals who do not represent our cause of peace and justice in spirit or deed,” said Chakwera.

He also condemned the police who fired teargas at peaceful people who had gone to the High Court on Friday to hear the verdict of the preliminary objections of the high profile election case.