Chilima says no danger of rigging in Malawi fresh elections
The country’s estranged Vice-president Saulos Chilima, who is also running mate to Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential hopeful Lazarus Chakwera, has reassured the nation that there will be no rigging in the court-sanctioned fresh presidential elections.
Opposition political parties feared the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was devising a scheme to rig the elections in favour of President Peter Mutharika who is seeking re-election.
But Chilima said no one will rig the election as the nine-party opposition Tonse Alliance has assembled a team of experts to “defend people’s vote.”
Chilima said on Saturday at the close of the official campaign, he will reveal plans allegedly hatched by the DPP which have failed.
“Do not be discouraged; come out in large numbers to cast your vote. Your vote will be protected and no room for rigging,” said Chilima in Enukweni in Mzimba on Wednesday during a whistle stop tour.
“On Saturday, I will reveal all their plans aimed at rigging the elections. We want to prove to them that they have failed,” said Chilima joined by Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara, who is also MCP deputy secretary general.
But DPP spokesperson Nicholous Dausi said Chilima is “merely hallucinating”.
He said: “Chilima is busy spreading lies of hate. Let the MCP and its partners know they have failed to win the hearts and minds of the people of the Northern Region.”
The UTM Party leader accused the DPP for failing to develop the northern region to uplift the infrastructural face of the region
Chilima said the DPP has been using the construction of Mombera University, new Mzuzu and Karonga airports as campaign tools ahead of every election without implementing the same.
Said Chilima: “The reason why nine political parties have joined forces is to bail out Malawians from the jaws of abject poverty, hunger, high unemployment rate. That is why we will reduce fertilizer to K4,995 per 50kg bag, create 1- million jobs and disburse K75 billion to every deserving person regardless of their political party colour.”
He said: “Vote for Dr. Lazarus Chakwera if you want to have three meals a day and register meaningful development.”
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Madalitso Kazombo, who is accompanying Chilima in the north campaign trail, advised the gathering to vote for Tonse Alliance if the jobless youth are to find employment and if civil servants are to have better salaries.
Citing “grave”, “widespread” and “systematic” irregularities, the Constitutional Court on February 3 ruled that the integrity of the May 2019 elections results had “been seriously compromised.”
The court overturned President Peter Mutharika’s re-election and ordered a new vote within 150 days. The judgement was uphel by the Supreme Court of Appeal in May.
The country will stage the re-run next Tuesday.
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