Chilima wants EU to cancel election report presentation: MCP agrees ‘bad timing’

January 8, 2020 Wongani Chiuta - Nyasa Times 38 Comments

UTM Party president  Saulos Chilima and first petioner in the election nullification case has called on the European Union (EU) Election Observer Mission (EOM) to put off  presentation of its final report on the disputed May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections., saying doing so is “ill-timed” and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) counterpart Lazarus Chakwera who is also challenging the results in court over alleged irregularities has agreed with him.

Chilima: Rebuffs EU, says timing of observers presentation of the report is ill-timed

In a letter to EU Malawi office dated January 7 2020,  Chilima  said the report is sub judicial as the presential elections dispute is awaiting judgement and he condemns the decision in strongest terms.

“The intended presentation of the report is ill-timed, careless and amounts to an extra-judicial gimmick to meddle with, and influence, pending litigation. I condemn this in the strongest terms,” reads the letter in part.

SKC, as Chilima is fondly known, has further turned down an invitation to meet the mission.

He said: “We are waiting for judgement [in the Constitutional Court]. The EU should respect the courts and wait for the judgement. We have informed the EU in writing that we will not be attending the meeting.”

SKC further says, while he appreciates the European Union’s support and cooperation for the improvement of the country’s election management system, the presentation is “not only poorly timed but it also breaches the legal process under way in the Malawi courts”.

He said :”I strongly object to the presentation of the report at this time. It must be obvious to both the Delegation and the Mission that comprehensive reports on the tripartite elections must be avoided in light of the litigation that has since ensued.”

Chakwera has also faulted EU for “bad timing” in presentation of the report but

MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said his party will honour  an invitation to attend the meeting  with EU delegation..

The European Union Observer Mission has also received wide condemnation from various quarters, mainly on social media, for its decision to present its May 21 elections report months after the polls.

EU Deputy Head of Mission Aurelie Valtat, who is also head of the political and media office,  said it is  “a standard return mission” and “not unique to Malawi.”

MEC chairperson Justice Jane Ansah declared the presidential elections to be free and fair and that the results were the true reflection of the will of the people of Malawi.

President Mutharika who won the dispiuted polls has repeatedly quoted observers as having declared the electoral process credible, but Chilima and Chakwera are challenging the presidential election results in court over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system.

Voting in the tripartite elections took place on May 21 2019 in all the 5002 polling stations.

According to Ansah, out of 6 859 570 registered voters, 5 105 983 turned up for polling representing 74.44 percent. A total of 74 719 votes were declared null and void representing 1.09 percent.

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38 replies on “Chilima wants EU to cancel election report presentation: MCP agrees ‘bad timing’”

  1. NO WONDER THE MALAWI GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN THE PATH OF EU OF MAKING DELAYING TACKTICKS. TAKE THE MSUNDWE SAGA, THE MALAWI POLICE INSTITUTED A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY IN OCTOBER, BUT UP TO THIS DAY NO TANGIBLE REPORT HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THEM. INSTEAD MHRC RELEASED THEIRS, THE MALAWI GOVERNMENT IS REFUSING TO ACCEPT IT.

    1. who told you that the report is different from the first one? Had it been the report is different then these opposition RATS could not have run away from it.There is nothing good for them thats why they are refusing it.

  4. I have seen the report and it is no different from the preliminary report that eu produced last year after elections. Thats why skc is fuming.

  5. We dont want colonialists (asamunda) to interfere into Malawian Affairs,we need to fulfil Gadaffi ‘s dreams (united states of Africa)these colonialist wont have access to steal african resources.To HELL with EU report you can present it to Europe we dont need it.

    1. hahha komatu dzana lija mumatamandila EU ambassador atathamangisidwa chifukwa anamatcha nawo zakwa Msundwe.lero mukuti atsamunda asalowelele amalawi affairs kkk opposition sithadzeka

  6. No,they are not wanted, the case is in court, that would mean prejudice. Decorators of the not wanted now.Your comments would chaos in Malawi. After these are not EU people .are middle men to decorate elections.

  7. My Views are that, Chilima will be a very Dictator if Malawi will ever give him a chance. Mwina he has bad advisors. ITS JUST NOT FAR AWAY WHEN HIS PARTY AND THE SO CALLED HRDC plus MCP were damaging properties, Killing people including a Police man, torching houses etc WHEN THE CASE WAS IN COURT. IT was that intimidation that should swerved those who were giving testimonies AND NOT EU giving their report on May 21 elections.. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SO CALLED EDUCATED MAN?

    1. Nice observation. These are the very same people who were demonstrating whilst the matter was in court.

  8. The court should present its ruling as soon as possible, otherwise crooked people are taking advantage of the delay.

  9. TAWAKANA NGATI AKUFUNA ABWERE AFTER COURT Ruling otherwise we are not ready to hear from them One Malawi one Nation

  10. I think there is some hypocrisy here…… How about the demos against against Ansa and the elections which were happening as the court was hearing the case were they not ill timed also? Just thinking aloud…..

    3. Nice one. SKC and Chakwera amapanga zinthu za phuma kwambiriiiii. They do not forsee consequences and implications of their actions. Leadership is about being patient.

  11. We don’t have to trust EU people if we need best for this country. these people we call European Union are white people, we are black. This EU people sometime they can be insane.

  13. Anyapapi awa iwo anangowona ma signature ama monitors basi akufuna azitiwuza kuti zisankho zinayenda bwino? They should have been the first ones to raise issue ya Tippex and reported to us kuti amachoka kuti. Their report is useless now in all fairness.

  14. I very much agree with Chilima and Abusa, the report is ill-timed….where have they been all along? Why now? What is so pressing that cannot wait a bit.

  15. Kikikiki koma zeze sazatheka, mpaka kulemba kalata?. Anyway, it seems zeze used insider dealing to access the eu report prior to publishing and apparently he does not like the contents of the report. Zeze has friends in the eu mission printer room, he has friends in the statehouse printer room. This crooked fella knows no limits.

  16. Bravo Dr Chilima, we do not need these guys now the time is over our main focus is on the court judgment, not EU report this is useless I know these guys are playing hide and sick game but this time around we are not giving them a chance coz they messed up the May 2019 election.

  17. EU PEOPLE WERE BEING RESPECTED BUT NOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS STUPID DO THEY WANT TO BRING CHAOS AMONG MALAWIANS ? THE CASE IS AWAITING JUDGEMENT THEY SHOULD NOT DISTURB PEOPLES MINDS

  19. Mr. Saulosi Chilima this is EU ‘s standard procedure which is not sub judicial at all . Go and meet them and listen to their report. It has nothing to do with the court proceedings which waiting verdict. Don’t fear for the unknown. When you joined politics you accepted the TORs for the game and take them head on . So don’t prevent them from submitting their report. Anzanu a MCP ati akakhalako komwe report ikaperekedwe. That is the way to go. Follow their path. Go and hear and cry later

    1. Either he is not a competent political strategist or he has poorly thinking advisors…this has been obvious in most of the political decisions he has made in the last 12 months. Its unfortunate. If he had waited with a demonstration of political maturity he would sail through to the presidency in 2024 very very easily. now he will have a harder time convincing a certain section of Malawi about his ability to lead this nation.

      1. … or HARDtalk Chilima is simply stupid!
        APM might have been shielding or even thwarting the stupid ideas.

  21. As much as I agree with Chilima on the fact of EU presenting the report now, it appears someone seems to know what is in the report and does not like it. The report could subjudice the courts either way. Does anyone have leaked copy of the report?

    2. maga what is important is the report , you lied to the nation that mwaberedwa and here is the independent findings and youre runing away from this trueth as well

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