Chilima scorns at ‘Tippex government’: UTM leader storms North Malawi with unity message

UTM president Saulos Chilima has preached unity as he addressed a mammoth crowd during his ‘thank you’  rally in the north, saying the country’s leadership is unfortunately divisive and derided what he called the “Tippex government” in apparent reference to the  May 21 Tripartite Elections results sheets which were altered using correction fluid, Tippex.

Chilima is the first major party leader to hold a post-election rally which he dubbed ‘thank you’ rally.

“We should accept that the country is fragmented. The leadership of this country which should be in the forefront of uniting us is instead dividing us,” said Chilima.

He, however, said the  “people power”  is more powerful than the country’s political leadership, saying the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government might even go before the 2024 elections if the courts rules in favour of the opposition for the re-run of the elections.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM are challenging the May 21 presidential elections, saying Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) officials manipulated the results in favour of the DPP candidate President Peter Mutharika.

“It is disheartening to learn that the great Republic of Malawi is now called the Tippex-led government,” said Chilima.

The immediate past vice president warned the DPP, which he said is on shopping spree for members of parliament to boost its numbers in the 193 strong House that UTM’s four legislators are not up for sale.

“Even myself, although I am a salesman, I am not up for sale, so too the UTM and its members of parliament. Don’t steal money from the parastatals to buy off members of parliament, this is evil,” said Chilima.

The former corporate executive -turned-politician then told the people that UTM is in Malawi to stay, saying he will do all he could to ensure that it forms the next government.

He said the UTM mission would be completed if the party gets into government and fulfills its campaign promises which include three meals per day for each Malawian, creation of one million jobs, reduction of fertilizer cost down to K4, 549 from over K20, 000 per bag, abolition of quota system of selection of students into public universities.

Others include fighting corruption, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, cronyism, favouritism and the rule of arrogance and impunity.

The UTM leader then called on Malawians to stay calm and peaceful as the courts are dealing with the irregularities of the poll presidential results.

Chilima emerged top in the presidential vote in the north which gave him over 800, 000 votes.

Critics have questioned the rationale of MEC accepting election results sheets tampered with the correction fluid which was not part of the electoral body’s inventory.

Garton Kamchedzera, a professor of law at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi, said MEC should have been alert on the source of Tippex, whose use was widespread across the 5 002 polling stations nationwide.

He said: “Election officers who sent ‘Tippexed’ documents were assured that their documents would be accepted.

“Those documents were not credible. By accepting the documents, MEC was accepting to use documents and records that were not credible; and then taking them, assigning the label of credibility to something that was not credible.”

The quasi-religious group Public Affairs Committee (PAC) said in its analysis of the polls that the results management process lacked credibility, especially in the wake of revelations of use of Tippex.

The European Union Election Observer Mission also faulted the results management system.

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