Chakwera wants State to prosecute MEC officials over Malawi ‘Tippex elections’
President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed open disappointment with the director of Public Prosecutions office for its failure to prosecute Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) presiding officers over the messy 2019 presidential election which was nullified.
Speaking at Kamuzu palace in Lilongwe, Chakwera said the High Court and Supreme Court determined that hundreds of presiding officers broke the law in their handling of the 2019 presidential election.
The High Court, sitting as a Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, in the election case, ruled that the use of tippex by some presiding officers in the 2019 presidential election was illegal, among other issues.
“When I say we must clear the rubble, it is important to understand what the rubble is and who is responsible for clearing it.
“Essentially, clearing the rubble means four things. First and foremost, it means removing those from our state institutions who have committed criminal offences. Take the Malawi Electoral Commission, for example. Both the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeals determined that hundreds of presiding officers broke the law in their handling of the 2019 presidential election, and yet today, more than a year after those crimes were committed, there is no sign of any of them being prosecuted by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, nor is there any sign that they have been dismissed from the public service,” said Chakwera.
The President said the office bearers responsible for clearing the rubble should not imagine that “we as Malawians will relent from calling for the rule of law or that we will look the other way.”
There was no immediate comment from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mary Kachale.
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My own understanding is that anyone who was supposed to get involved in criminal matters should currently not be involved in any election until proven clean by court of Justice. For instance MEC is being ran by a high court judge who clearly knows the laws of Malawi as a country but he chose to remain quiet. What we should all know is that in any democratic rule of government there is a President who is on top of everyone hence other patterns should clearly listen and educate the President where he is not right than remaining quiet though it cannot be on similar platform.When someone is not convicted does not mean that she is clean and continue handling office materials. The President is quite correct to talk about it. In the same new government there are cadets of previous regime but play their cards accordingly and the ruling government must be careful and this is what an outsider sees. Some of us are equally agreeing with the State President touch. Something is not moving here though there are cerebrations of winning power. Pave way for smooth investigations to run its course.Tomorrow the very same people you are terming at will turn around and goes to court seeking compensations for unlawful dentation. I do not think that it is fair to call the head of state all different names or if the same continues it is better to remain in dictatorship. Better write concrete facts in such forum and not insults. It does not matter whether you dont like him or not.He is there as the President of Malawi.
Chakwera the bulutu! Kodi wayiwala kuti unamwanya malamulo a chisankho mdziko muno polengeza kuzera pa msonkhano WA atolankhani kuti wapambana chisankho cha 2019? Anakumanga ndi ndani? Ngati Kuli kumanga DPP ayambire iweyo, sidik, mkaka, ndi gulu lako munapanga msonkhano WA Atolankhani. Fotseki
There should be undoubted criminal activity worthy prosecutable ( some say prima facie case). I can recall in his judgement that Justice Healy Potani saying that there was no rigging proven but there were irregularities allover. There was no criminal intent proven although the formation of constituency tally centers were unconditional. The judge focussed more on the commissioners’ competency and directed for their assessment. They were assessed and found incompetent and are no longer there except for the two that should also go. What more does the President want; vengeance?
They should be all prosecuted so as to ensure that others do not do that in future elections.
My take is that this President is so inexperienced that he can hardly make a sound decision.He is fast loosing direction.Goofing after goofing.Sorry Chakwera that’s what you wanted.Mwana akakakamira nyanga ya msansi msemere infotere yekha
Chakwera you need to slow down. The high speed you have taken will lead you to danger. What you should realise is that MEC never did any wrong in that presidential election and every Malawian including the International observers are aware of this. Even the Judges that ruled in your favour know this. If MEC were in the wrong, the current MPs would not hold their positions up until today. If MEC did it wrongly, that means we would have a triapartite election all over again. The Judges ruled in your favour because they saw it fit that the government should change for another leader because that was what Malawians wanted to see. Probably this is the reason why you teamed up with Chilima to unseat Mutharika. If you went alone again, you would not make it for the position of Presidency. This i can assure you. And had it not been Chilima joining you to be your deputy, you would end up a local person like a vendor. Many of us voted for you because we were voting for Chilima. Those that you are calling fraudulent at MEC are just innocent people. Please stop your nonsense.
if Chakwera is clearing the rubble then he should start at state house.He is sweeping his rubble under the carpet .He should know that he is counting down the years and so far nothing is being shown on the ground except kumanga anthu
The only achievement this president is registering is arresting previous govt officials and he is doing so with zeal. Ofcoz we know he is cleansing the ground for his own sake. To plant people who will run his agenda fearing SKC will topple him. Otherwise it would be ideal for him to focus on development. Kumangako Mangani koma osati in this fashion. This is more a political move.
If he suspended those culprits to pave way for ACB, then perhaps people could have taken him for a serious man.
Ochakwera ku lubwa uku sikuthandiza zoona ma PO onse awamange kapena mukudziwapo ena
It will not help Malawi to punish Mathanga and Kunje when the Leader of the rotten fish, Jane Ansah is enjoying herself elsewhere. First zero in on Ansah and then get down to the rest.
We fail to keep the laws of God but you wanted us to keep Human laws for what. Even you Chakwera you failed
Why can’t Chakwera come straight and tell the nation that he is not comfortable having Mrs. Kachale as the DPP because she was appointed during the other government, that instead he wants to install his puppet. Everything Chakwera is doing, others have been there before and they did it with perfection. Instead of the Tonse Alliance building bridges they are actually burning the lesser existing ones. Boma amayendetsa aliyense regardless of political affiliations. Concentrating on vendetta will lead you nowhere. One wouldn’t believe you were once a pastor, a pastor who can’t reason and act humanely, shame!!
So a pastor must tolerate any nonsense
Mr President,
You have an Attorney General. ask him to give you an answer.
Asking on a podium makes it political rhetoric.
A Linda Kunje, mukalowa basi. Mwano uja mukachitile ku Maula, 10 years IHL azimayi oyipa inu. Zoona kupinyolitsa a Malawi chonchija.
wina nde aziti mathanga ndi linda kunje akenera kulandila makalata acani ati khaya.
wina anthawila ku UK patting herself on the bak saying well done jib uja amakandana ndi pitala fot a 20 million .jeni zinalake. pano is zooming pa pulpit preaching good news of the bible to the ”poor” in spirit indeed.
let them be prosecuted. the whole mec was a shumble and all whole still in this position. i mean from the old team. galu wacisika ndiuja ankafuna kukomoka ndi thukuta lake lomwe atakwidzingidwa ndi mafuso ku khoti. teni nao kunyasa mfiti zimene zija. zinkahinga pitala. ndipo anadya misonlho ya a Malawi. mukuniya muona nyekhwe ngongolo inu
It is hard to clear the rubble when you allowed criminal to join Tonse alliance. I have lots of examples I can give to prove my point. Let us take the former mayor of ZA. He illegally sold land which was not supposed to be sold and now he is part of the alliance by virtue of joining UTM. How can you Sir clear the rubble when you allowed to be part of ur coalition in one way or another?
What position is he holding on the Tonse Alliance?
I would advise the president to go after the big fish and not spend his energy on trivia. There are lots of people who enriched themselves under the DPP regime and the current status seems to point to the fact that those people got away with murder. Talk of Mchacha, Nankhumwa etc etc. Those people stole billions of our tax-money and to hear the president emphasizing on POs is quite disheartening. How much of the Mardef money has been claimed back from those thugs who were running the program?
Whilst selective justice is bad, just concentrate on key high ranking officials in the electoral system otherwise exhaustive cleansing will take the already meagre resources for a song without conclusiveness. Further, the move will cripple the already underperforming education sector whose teachers, especially the head teachers, are the major culprits in the electoral fraud. So concentrate on commissioners and the like and save money and capacity in education sector
Clear the rubble
If you beaf up the ACB team things will move fast. Have other 5 able lawyers or else if the law does not require so let let the relevant bodies give direction. Otherwise time is running fast.
Boma lolandali mwagundika nalotu Abusa
Your memory card seem to be 500MB! You have already forgotten that on 23 June we had election in Malawi? Ulesi umenewu mpaka mkukumbukila komwe?
What about Crossroads cashgate by state house.
Nanga khani zakatangale yokhudza cement ilipati?
Kodi nkhani imene ija yakhalilidwa kamba koti mwenye amatenga ndalama kwa mmodzi wa okhudzidwa? Tikufuna nkhani imene ija timve kuti inathera pati
I second the motion …..
Is the High Court Supreme Court &the parpet Con Court realy meant what they said …..or was it just gimics of change of regime wave that was apperent by then .
Baba Chakwera ananenaso kuti ngati amaudindowo akuona kuti sakwanisa, kuli bwino achoke, kuti aikepo wena womwe ali ndi kuthekera kogwira ntchitoyo……
Boma lokomera tonse limenelo
Seems a useless expectation..also receiving goods believed to have been stolen is equally a felony and all Mps are guilty because they benefited from tippex.
Sorry Mr. President that the system is frustrating you. No need to lament because those people are following your footstep as you have proven to us to be a slow coach. How long did it take you to appoint boards and yet you are expecting miracles form other people. NO Mr. President, you have already set a precedent. You take action in reaction to what has happened when you are supposed to be proactive. Muluzi said it in plain language that ” kuyendetsa boma simasewera”.
This is madness and power gone into the head. Whoever is advising Chakwera must really be a secret DPP supporter indeed sent to confuse this president. You expect the courts to fight your political wars, arrest hundreds of presiding officers and target all DPP sympathisers in your quest to consolidate power? His first term will be known for one development only, that is arresting his political foes. There are serious issues facing Malawians than this rubble rhetoric as if MCP is a perfect party.
As i understand it, Headteachers assume the roles of presiding officers for lections in Malawi. Does Chakwera’s statement suggest that these Headteachers must be prosecuted. Did the courts at any point make any finding of criminal intentions in the use of tippex by the Headteachers? Please school me
How many times has Chakwerahimself broken the law? He has already violated the Gender Act in his appointment of cabinet and board members of parastatals.
Mr. President, please fire this devil of a woman now. She is a big rubble.
Don’t even be fooled that her husband presided over a credible election. They are totally people .
Fire her immediately
Usiye kusuta chamba. Mboli yako.
Malawian minds are focused on receiving what was promised during campaign. Don’t take their minds back to the nullified election, because that is not food. Instead live up to your word and deliver on your promises. 100 days was total failure, as shown by cronyism and state house corruption, maneb chaos, albinos still at risk, religious tensions etc.
You won, you won no matter how, now its time to work and deliver, dwelling in the past doesn’t move the country forward!
Influencing the judiciary just as you did with the election case