Chilima welcomes Ansah’s resignation: ‘No one will bastardise Malawi fresh elections’

The country’s estranged  Vice-President Saulos Chilima, who is running mate to Tonse Alliance torch-bearer Lazarus Chakwera,  has welcomed the resignation of the  embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah  just a month to go before the country holds a court-ordered  fresh presidential election.

Chilima was speaking Friday  during  his trade mark Imbizos starting with Mvera in Dowa ending with Kaphatenga in Salima.

“This is what Malawians have been demanding that Ansah must go over her handling of the disputed election,” said Chilima in welcoming the news of her stepping down.Leading human rights activists had been planning a fresh wave of protests next week to force Ansah to step down. Ansah denied she was giving in to pressure.

“I have fought a good fight and I go happy,” she told state-broadcaster MBC on Thursday evening .”I have worked with clean hands and I have no skeletons in my cupboard.”

But Chilima said Ansah was the architect of the flawed elections which were annulled by the court.

He said the opposition under the electoral grouping of nine political parties, among them, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), UTM Party, People’s Party (PP), Umodzi Party (UP) and People’s Transformation Party (Petra) will ensure that no-one bastardise democracy and engage in electoral brinkmanship.

Chilima said the Tonse Alliance will win the election which will be credible, free and fair.

The energetic Chilima, also lifted a 50 kilogramme bag of fertiliser urging people to vote for Tonse Alliance because, among others, the leadership will reduce fertiliser prices to K4 495 per 50 kilogramme bag and the new fertiliser price will be announced on day one of new presidency.

“Believe us that this will be done. In fact Dr. Chakwera is committed on this and will announce the new price in his acceptance speech. This will not take three days or a week. This is instant. We have to deal with food security once and for all,” said Chilima.

“If they come here and tell you that the figure I am mentioning is for a 20 kg, please tell them in the face that I showed you a 50 Kg bag. For them, they can not slash the prices because it will mean they will minimize their sources of theft,” said Chilima.

Speaking earlier in most of the venues, MCP youth director Richard Chimwendo Banda assured the people that Chakwera and  Chilima is the only pair geared to uplift people’s lives and develop Malawi.

“Let us do our part for voting for them as President and running mate. We will put in mechanisms to ensure that everyone goes to vote on the polling day,” he said.

Chilima started the weekend campaign trail on Thursday with 9 stops and by Saturday is expected to conduct 24 whistle stops and one main rally in just 72 hours.