Chilima brands Mutharika rigging claims ‘signs of jitters’: Says DPP sniffs electoral defeat

Vice-President Saulos Chilima has accused President Peter Mutharika of making wild  allegations of vote rigging, saying they are signs of  are panicking and jitters that they are going to lose power  as the country moves towards the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

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The Vice-President, who is also president of UTM Party registered after he severed ties with the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) last June, challenged Mutharika’s claims that opposition parties have hired election rigging experts.

Speaking during an Imbizo tour in his home district of Ntcheu  on Tuesday morning,  Chilima assured Malawians that no one is going to rig the elections and urged them to go and vote in their large numbers.

“These remarks  about people rigging the polls just shows that someone is panicking that he is going to lose the polls,” said Chilima.

“Otherwise no one will rig these polls even Malawi Electoral Commission assured us that no one will rig the elections, ” he added.

Chilima, a former private sector executive who rose to the position of Airtel Malawi managing director before quitting to partner Mutharika as running mate in the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections,  said the DPP has engaged in “scare mongering” tactics but warned that he and the UTM Party will not be intimidated.

“They are hallucinating ehh mufuna mitible, ehh tikufinyani. Time is up, you will go by people’s vote,  izi zosiyilana,” said Chilima.

Chilima, widely promoted by his initials SKC for Saulos Klaus Chilima, attacked Mutharika for  presiding over corruption and nepotism.

This is the second time for  Chilima to challenge President’s recent rigging claims. In January when Mutharika made similar claims, he said in quotes reported  by The Nation newspaper : “You [the President] say you know who is here to rig, you know the equipment is here for rigging and you know where the equipment is; and then you are doing nothing about it? As President, you could have sent police to arrest those involved… ”

But presidential press secretary and spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said at that  time  Chilima “cannot tell the President what to do. The government machinery will pounce on the rigging plot when it is necessary”.

Ironically, after being declared winner of the 2014 presidential race, Mutharika is on record to have dismissed his predecessor Joyce Banda’s claims that the election was rigged, telling British Broadcasting Corporation on May 22 2014: “I don’t see how an opposition party can rig elections.”

Previously, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera the DPP   manipulated the results of the 2014  Tripartite Elections which saw President Mutharika—with Chilima as running mate—winning by 36 percent. MCP’s Chakwera finished second with 27 percent.

There are assertions that Chilima helped DPP rig 2014 elections and MCP  had previously asked him to thoroughly explain what it called a ‘truth’ that Chakwera won.

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Fonexrabia
4 years ago

Dipipi yagwa mu game

Che Yusuf
Che Yusuf
4 years ago

Malambo Folo, is it statements like these that confirm that cha nkhaza sichinachokebe mu MCP. Pakwane kaye zaka fifty muli ku opposition koma ine ndi eastern region yonse sitizaiwala bola baba Chilimawa

Patrick Mbewe
Patrick Mbewe
4 years ago

Kodi DPP ingokamba za Chilima, Chakwera akudziwa kuti sangawine. Nayo MCP ingokamba za Chilima akudziwa Mutharika sangawine. Adziwa bwanji kuti owina ndi mwanayi?

Patrick Mbewe
Patrick Mbewe
4 years ago

I feel sorry for Dr Chakwera. MCP will never rule Malawi again.

Patrick Phiri
Patrick Phiri
4 years ago

Judging by the turn up, Ntcheu people don’t like Chilima. Who are we to follow him?

Khumbuka wa Chiwengo
Khumbuka wa Chiwengo
4 years ago
Reply to  Patrick Phiri

No sense , zomavotela munthu wakwanu is what we are against. Zachikale zachimidzi zokanika the likes of thinking we are not intertaining

Malambo Folo
Malambo Folo
4 years ago

Che Yusuf, are you God yourself. Silly and stupid. You have no right to make that statement. Stupid and myopic people like you have no place in democracy. Iwe ndi nkhumba yeniyeni

Che Yusuf
Che Yusuf
4 years ago
Reply to  Malambo Folo

Look at what you are doing now? Using foul language instead of issue based politics, nde muzalowe mboma simuzatiponyera mu ng’ona kuyesa nkhuma. Thats why you are called crocdile party and we cannot take away that from you. As for me and my whole eastern region vote yathu muiwale, we know what you are capable of, better baba Chilima, sorry

Che Yusuf
Che Yusuf
4 years ago

MCP will never rule this country again, we know what you are capable of

Gerald Mapanga Phiri
Gerald Mapanga Phiri
4 years ago

It looks like there is corrupt election gangs, they know how system operates. They are throwing off course the innocent participants

Check mate!
Check mate!
4 years ago

You’ve rigged before what’s new enough on the scene. Justice will be made clear hence new breed of politicians arising.

Wachipatso
Wachipatso
4 years ago

These guys know each other very well. It’s a family issue. We MCP are watching and asking MEC to verify the rigging claims. Chilima says DPP ndi ana sadziwa kuba without him. APM says he knows Chilima is planning to rig the elections. Now, one thing is clear; the head of state is arguing based on reliable sources … believe it or not he knows the young man wants to enter state house through back door. No not this time Saulosi! We are all watching….

Aristotle The King
Aristotle The King
4 years ago
Reply to  Wachipatso

what are you watching Mr? if you have evidence go give them!

Madukano
Madukano
4 years ago
Reply to  Wachipatso

Did peter say utm wants to rig election no you didn’t here it nicely he said one of the opposition party,my be itcan mcp or udf kkkkkkkkk ndale zamalawi

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