Chakwera urges Malawians to accept election case ruling ‘and uphold it’

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader and presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera has urged Malawians to respect and elections case ruling due anytime from now.

The Constitutional Court is expected to rule on the election challenge sometime between January 27 and February 3, its spokesperson Agnes Patemba has confirmed.

At a news conference lasting for nine minutes, Chakwera said there is no other home for Malawians apart from Malawi hence the need to remain peaceful.

“Whenever it is that the Court delivers its ruling, let us rise to that occasion to accept it, to respect it, to support it, and to uphold it,” said Chakwera in his American accent.

The MCP leader said Malawians should uphold the law and work towards rebuilding Malawi after the court determination on the matter.

“Let us resolve to welcome the ruling with open arms as a foundation on which we can begin the work of rebuilding our nation and reconciling with each other. After all, we have no other nation to call our home than Malawi and no other people to call our own than each other. And I, for one, would never trade it for any other on earth,” he said.

Chakwera was accompanied by Peoples Party (PP) president Joyce Banda, who is also Malawi only woman to have been a Head of State.

President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  won a second term, but his victory unleashed a six-month-long court case and nationwide demonstrations demanding the head of the electoral commission be fired.

Mutharika beat Chakwera by 159 000 votes  – a lead of just over three percentage points.

Chakwera’s MCP  and the UTM Party of Saulos Chilima say the poll was marred by fraud.

It is the first time presidential election results have been challenged in court and will reach a logical conclusion since Malawi gained independence from Britain in 1964.