ConCourt confirms judement day Feb 3 in Malawi election case

The Constitutional Court  has announced that it will  deliver its landmark ruling in the presidential election nullification petition case on  Monday February 3 as earlier reported by Nyasa Times.

The five-judge panel comprising Healey Potani, Ivy Kamanga, Dingiswayo Madise, Redson Kapindu and Mike Tembo will deliver the ruling on a deadline  say  on the case, which sparked violent protests since last year.

“Take notice  that the full  Court shall deliver  its judgement in this matter on Monday the 3rd of February, 2020 at 09.00 in the forenoon at  Lilongwe District Registry  of the  High Court of Malawi,” reads a notice of delivery of judgement by High Court of Malawi and Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal registrar Agnes Patemba

To ensure peace and order prevail, the Judiciary is working with the security agencies  – Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force – for special arrangements on the judgement day.

Malawi Law Society (MLS)  president Burton Mhango said the society could have loved if the judgement was delivered in form of a summary rather than reading it out in its entirety.

Accredited media houses such as Times, Zodiak will broadcast live the ruling.

In the case, two of the presidential candidates in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections—UTM Party’s Saulos Chilima (the first petitioner) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Lazarus Chakwera (the second petitioner)—want the court to nullify presidential election results over alleged irregularities, especially in the results management system.

Incumbent President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who was declared winner of the elections, is the first respondent with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) as the second respondent.

Any party to the case can still appeal the Constitutional Court ruling in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal which will be the final arbiter in the matter.