Critics slate Mutharika’s SONA: ‘Malawi leader in denial’
Leader of opposition, civils society organisations (CSOs) and commentators have poked holes all over President Peter Mutharika’s State of the Nation address (Sona), in which he said those who are propagating that there can be a vacancy in the office of the president are committing treason.
Mutharika in a speech via video link shown over giant screens in Parliament urged the House to correct the mistake of the both the Constitutional Court and the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal who ordered the fresh presidential election.
“Nullifying elections is nullifying the will of the people,” said Mutharika.
But leader of the opposition Lobin Lowe said he will give the formal response to the Sona in the House, his immediate assessment was that the President is “trying to put his knee on the neck of democracy and suffocate it.”
The local Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence has scatching in is reaction, saying the President’s address is a mark of a leader living in denial and, silently, orchestrating a Constitutional Crisis to keep himself in power.
Reacting to the Presidents’ SONA, especially on the issue of the judges’ elections nullification, HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence said the President is the one who would want to abuse the rule of law by not complying with the court order for fresh elections.
“It is not anybody in Malawi who will commit treason but him for defying court judgment. Malawians will not allow that impunity. We will guard our constitution to the fullest because no one is above the law,” Trapence said.
Trapence further said Malawians don’t want to reach a level of a Constitution crisis because someone wants to remain in power without the mandate of the people.
“After 2nd July, if elections are not conducted this country will not have a President—that’s a fact. We don’t need to reach to that level,” he said.
He underlined that the President’s conduct by not allowing fresh elections will be criminal.
London-based Malawian economist Watipaso Mkandawire commented that Mutharika wants to retain power “by any means necessary.”
He noted: “Some of the means included causing confusion in the process.”
Lawyer Bright Theu fiercely criticised Mutharika regarding the controversial statement he said that Parliament is supreme above the courts, calling it “consummate nonsense.”
Said Theu: “The idea is to pitty parliament against the courts for a power struggle of sorts.
“No Sir, again no matter how much you crave it to be the case, Parliament is not supreme above the courts. Just like your office [President] is not supreme above the courts and the National Assembly.”
Theu, who represented Vice-President Saulos Chilima in the elections case, said three branches of government – The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary – are at best co-equal branches of the State.
“Whether you like it or not, this is the arrangement we as a nation agreed on when you were away [in exile.].”
Theu acknowledged presented “some paper” during the constitutional process, but pointed out that he never drafted anything.
“If you don’t like the workings if constitutionalism, rule of law, separation of powers, and check and balances that begot the judgement nullifying that embarrassment of an election doesn’t waste our time, just get the hell out of there,” Theu blasted.
Another government critic Idriss Ali Nassah said Mutharika’s address demonstrated that the President is “in denial” of the nullification of his re-election and that “he is delusional”.
Nassah said President Mutharika is turning to be a “huge national security risk.”
He said “Mutharika must go!”
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the fact that parliament obeyed court orders and him to presented his nomination papers it simplys means the courts are not the weakest……andin this case THEY ARE THE STRONGEST….. no wonder even iyeyo cant say nfweeee
If I go through all the comments here ihav realized with deep shock that the owners doesn’t have voting ticket for them to vote for a leader of their choices but they are here lubwalubwa.Sona or no sona Dpp and Udf is going to carry the day or Sona mukuti ndiyopoura koma ili khenge vuto sona ya Adad imadana ndimakape.i rest my case AMEN
Lets all be humble,respectful satisfied with what P. Mutharika our beloved president is doing in Malawi. Leave Mutharika alone. The country Malawi will
never be without the president even a single day.
This means Mutharika shall remain in power. The courts of Malawi on the other hand seem to be in nepotism more especialy to opposition. The judges must know that they are being watched. We cant accept the courts and judges that are corrupt.
Otsutsa, makhothi,timawailesi tinati iti komanso akuti HRDC mudzachita manyazi
pamene UDF DPP alliance idzakhale ikusangalala kuwina kwawo posachedwapa. Khalani phee. Ife tidzakhala tikululutira thungululu kawakawakawa hehede mumva m’bebe chaka chino.
Mukadzayelekeza kusokoneza zotsatira zachisankhochi mudzamangidwa chifukwa idzakhala nkhwizi chabe.
When i check some comments mmmmm i decide to put mine but when i sir and think with fair to consider that muthalika is a learned president and is above 80 he have to accept and step down I think he is living in his own world by now
Mutharika is right. Judges do not rule a country.
No he is confused and confusing people in 🇲🇼
you are just another cadets,,, arms of govt…equal powers…if the courts are a weaker arm of govt why can’t he (Mutharika) as the president overrule the judgement.. wake up.. dzuka malawi kwacha..
Wishful thinking. Arms of Govt will never be equal. The Judiciary just pumps itself too much. They think they r all that and up there.
Nop! Its actually # 3 on the line. President comes first, then Parliament.
My dear be informed that the president or the presidency has never been,is not and will never be an arm of government in malawi.The presidency is just part of a particular arm.So if you say the president comes first,you are completely out of order kkk
Ask Chimulirenji kuti ali kuti pano.Ma khothi amalanga kkkkk
Muthalika in denial and delusional – exactly what he is right now
Old embicile, come out and deliver your so called SONA in front of MPs instead of recording your nonsense while hiding in the corner. Your fellow gogo, Goodall Gondwe is being pulled by mwana wa mbava to do campaigns in the north.
What is treasonous is clueless Mutharika’s leadership: incompetent, corrupt and lacking respect for the rule of law!!! That, Malawians will not take too kindly to and will fight to rid out whether you throw ‘treason charges’ at them or not (but courts have to agree with you or, like your late brother tried to do, you will create ‘special traditional courts’ to try these ‘treason cases’)!!!
We don’t want to have a dictator in our country again.It was a hard fought to attain this democracy while APM was abroad.Stop your nonsense and go to hell we don’t want you any more.You are an enemy of Justice.
The waste SONA of the world is the one by Peter Munthalika played on 5th June, 2020.
Mr acting president ask Ivorians what happened to Laurent Gbagbo when he thought he could bully democracy after losing an election. Malawians are not your pets.
gogo go please
Very misleading article. These are CRITICS not EXPERTS, so what do you expect them to say? Mutharika has done fairly well under the circumstances. He laboured alone when hhis vice president was not perfoming his duties but busy with UTM issues. Under the circumstances APM has faced a barrage of violent ptotests but he remains sober, resolute and visionary.
Signs clearly showing that our constitution is porous. It’s dangerous to always rely on courts to interpret such gaps because this can cause war.
Malawians are not afraid of the Malawi security forces eg the Army and the Police.
Malawians are not afraid to take on your stupid government Mutharika.
The patience of Malawians has come to the limits.
The Army and the Police will have to be careful to be neutral when ever called on the streets. Expect demonstrations in the next few weeks. Its gonna be very intense and maybe bloody.
The security forces are living in poverty and their accommodation is third class. Most of the Army and the Police live in dilapidated and rented houses that are appaling and filthy and they are also fed up with your uncaring and false promises of decent houses.
If you think you Namathanga and Mwapasa will save your presidency you are living in a lie.
Malawians want better leadership. You have failed to lead the nation.
You’re absvondimg your parliamentary duties. Malawians deserve better leadership not Mutharika. We need Chakwera and Chilima to lead Malawi.
Not a very frail and sick and not energetic Mutharika.
Chakwera and Chilima to lead Malawi into the future.
Viva Malawi. Aluta Continua!
At the age of 80years Kamuzu Banda was a tyrant who didn’t want to listen to advise and was threatening and created fear.
Mutharika is 80years old man who doesn’t listen and lives in his own world.
At 80 years a person develops what doctors call “Dementia “meaning deteriorated brain and know it mentally retarded brains. He is at the moment where he thinks he knows all.
He is like a wounded animal. Malawians need to tame this dangerous man.
It happened to Kamuzu. It happened to Bingu
It happening to Peter. We ought to stop him damaging everything that comes his way
He is 83 now
NOT true Mutharika is 79. Try to educate yourself.
80 in 1 month so what’s the difference?
He knows the writing is on the wall and he knows it’s impossible for him to win with Jane Ansah out. This is the reason he never wanted to fire Ansah. This man is a liability to Malawians and needs to be kicked out. He is the worst dictator the country has ever had. in fact, he is making late Dr Banda a benevolent leader and a more democratic one.
Mutharika is in denial, senile, and clear fighting dementia.
APM has always been a huge national security risk for Malawi! He must go whether he likes it or not.
IMPUNITY won’t be allowed any more…we have had enough under DPP and UDF administrations since 1994
Supreme Court of Appeal made the final judgement on the 2019 presidential election. FINITO!
Mutharika had a great vision that one day Malawians will be against him.
The best he did was to fire Mdf commander ~General Nundwe , and replace him with Gen Namathanga, his tribesman.
But I foresee this plan not working taking into account how Malawians have come this far in their hard won democracy.
By the way, cud you ~Apm , become Malawi president if Kamuzu acted the way you’re doing ?
Borrow a leaf from the way ur late bro~Bingu left this land and do wateva Malawians want , lest , you’ll be history like Bakili.
Mr Caretaker President why do you keep on blasting our courts yet you sought clarification from the same. Let’s uphold the laws of our land. Do you know the functions of Parliament? What about the courts? Revise them.
Mr fake president !your pension is due in the USA by now.Hope Truph will send you back to malawi to face criminal charges
Trapence, how can you say that you will guard our constition when you haven’t taken an oath to do so.? Actually you are raping the constition as much as those you hate.
Trapence has done nothing wrong against Malawi. He is a true patriotic Malawian. On the other hand your old man who doesn’t even know how to be Malawian, is the one raping the constitution.
Having a pilot who has lost his mind in his cabin while the aeroplane is still airborne is a nightmare! It’s like am having hallucinations. What sin have we committed as a nation to deserve this type of a demented president? O God have mercy on Malawi. I pray the whole of Psalm 94. Please God have mercy on us we have a
pilotof president who is flying our beautiful nation nowhere let Psalm 94 get to work to prevent a national tragedy in Jesus name I pray amen. It’s the first time I hear that when a plantifs appeal is dismissed in the supreme court of appeal ( the highest court) the appellant can still take his appeal to Parliament, ever heard of such legal opnion? He claims that no one is above the law, which law? If not as determined by the courts? So after 2nd July Malawi, according to Peter Mutharika, must becomelawless` nation just for the tippex President and his tribesmen can satisfy their quest for power? God forbid!This old man so called APM is up to something, he cares not at all abt Malawi nation. All he cares about is power, am smelling a foul play here now
Thanks Mr president for enlightening the power hungry Chakwera, Chilima, HRDC and their judges.
If Chakwera and Chilima thought this country is ruled by judges,adwala m’pwerere.
The country is ruled by laws not by judges. Judges only interpret the constitution
The best speech Mutharika has given.
Very good SONA with truths given out. Parliament is SUPREME. We can’t be ruled by foolish and incompetent judges who don’t even understand the constitution. Kudos Mr president.
Mutharika is right. The constitution is clear on the tenure of a president. Chilima and Chakwera used the courts to take over power. Awuponda. We are behind Mutharika.
Which will of the people is he talking about? 60%+ of the people said he should go
Inu the guy is too old to understand anything anymore….I agree with Mr Theu and all who have blasted APM, he must go…..simple!
Tingomenyanapo Basi.
Bravo Mutharika these brainless Malawian want hire day light robbers….
It is now becoming apparent why he did not want Ansah to go early. He wanted to cause maximum constitutional crisis so he continues to cling to power. This Munthalika man does not have shame at all. He knows the writing is on the wall hence the attempt to bring confusion. The good thing is that we expected him to cause some kind of confusion. If there will be treason committed, who will sit on the bench to decide? The same judges you are castigating? Malawi is larger than one man. You might cling to power a few more weeks but you will be dislodged one way or the other. People had given Munthalika the benefit of doubt but from the 2nd of July, gloves will come off and he will be illegally occupying that presidency. Now we understand all the personnel change in the army was for this. But, one thing he is forgetting is that he does not have the following of the whole army to oppress the whole of the Malawi population. The countdown continues and Malawi will be liberated.
Thank you patriotic Malawians. God bless you. We have had enough of these criminals
This poor old man, in the sense that he has run out of his intellectuals and wisdom must just pack up and go. Please you mtchona do not create panick to the already panicked nation due to your useless kind of leadership with no heart for the poor Malawians but milking all their little they have. You have gone beyond your senses that you cannot even thin. you compared dr chakwera to be equal to your stupid and un educated fools like mchacha when in reality you , yourself is worse than mchacha,
Adad amenewo kuti wawawa